


Come Into The Water

by PettiSmith



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Badass Asami Sato, Bisexual Character, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fanart, Fluff and Smut, Happy Ending, Korra POV, Korra is the ocean and Asami is ready to get wet, Meet-Cute, POV Asami Sato, Resolved Sexual Tension, relatively slow burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-11 06:29:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28466844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PettiSmith/pseuds/PettiSmith
Summary: Asami and Korra find each other in the modern world. As in any universe, their connection is strong, overwhelming, and rife with obstacles. Each chapter is told in alternating POVs between the two of them for equal insight into their...sexual frustration.-OR-Farmer's Market Meet-Cutes, bold best friends, hungry dogs, and a whole lot of (resolved) sexual tension.
Relationships: Korra/Asami Sato, Kuvira & Asami Sato
Comments: 94
Kudos: 341





	1. RAIN: Asami POV

**Author's Note:**

> Welcoming the new year with a little indulgent korrasami smuff because 2021 needs some love & magic...

I’m somewhat of a morning person—usually. But there’s something about a rainy day that feels like permission to linger under the covers.

The sound of rain, even the smell of it, reminds me of something I can’t remember. That doesn’t make sense to anyone but me. If you’re _reminded_ , you _remember_ , right? Well, no, not really. It’s almost like being nostalgic for a thing I’ve never known. And I guess nostalgia isn’t inherently good, bad, happy or sad. It’s kind of a mixture of all of that.

I twisted around in my sheets to get a better look out of my bedroom window: Total cloud coverage, grey skies, tiny raindrops falling fast. The previously untouched fabric from the right side of my bed pressed up cool against my warm skin and sent an immediate chill down my back. It was the perfect excuse to pull the covers up to my chin and stay in bed even longer but the smell of fresh coffee filling my room was enough to finally pull me out of bed.

Kuvira was also a morning person, and less likely to give into a rainy-day sleep-in. Routine is kind of the basis of her personality. That meant she had probably already had her coffee and was brewing another pot just for me. 

She had stayed the night again—in the guest room, of course. We’d _been there, done that_ enough times now to realize we worked better as friends. It was nice to be so close now and not have to worry about any expectations. The sex had been good. Okay, great actually, but it just made things messy for us in all other aspects. I have to admit, on paper it seemed like we would have worked together, but I guess love isn’t really one of those things you can work out like an equation on paper.

Who has time to date anyway?

“Asami!” She yelled from the kitchen. “I’m going for a run! Coffee’s hot!”

The door slammed behind her, although not intentionally. Kuvira had a way of doing everything hard and loud. I listened to her footsteps slap against the wet pavement as she took off down the hill behind my house.

I slipped out of bed and quickly threw on something casual for the day. No use overthinking it, everything would be covered up by a raincoat anyway. I had plans to venture to the neighborhood farmer’s market, like I did every Saturday, to stock up on veggies and grab a fresh bouquet of local flowers. The rain wouldn’t make the task as much fun as usual, but it certainly wasn’t going to stop me.

I moved through the morning without much care for the clock. Coffee, breakfast, a little freshening up. I debated for a second or two about whether I should bother with any makeup, finally deciding on keeping it simple. Is red lipstick simple? Maybe not. But...it was raining, I wasn’t dead.

Kuvira burst through the front door just as I finished tugging on my boots.

“How was it?” I asked as she finished cycling through her watch’s vital stats.

“Fine. Wet.” She pulled her ponytail over her shoulder and rung the water out of her thick black hair.

Her cheeks were flushed, and it was hard to tell the difference between sweat and rain on her glistening skin.

“Thanks for waiting to do _that_ until you were inside of my clean house.” I smiled through a frown and shook my head at the puddle forming around her in front of the door.

“Doesn’t make much sense to dry off while standing in the rain, does it?” Kuvira laughed and dropped a towel onto the puddle to clean up her mess.

“Hmmm. Why does that sound like something you heard in therapy?” I zipped up my coat and pulled the hood over my hair.

“Ha-Ha.” She moved into the kitchen and leaned back against the counter. “You heading to the market?”

“Mhmm. Are we still trying that new place in mid-city tonight? Raava, right?” I already knew the answer but Kuvira thrived on restating plans.

“Yep. Meet me there at 7PM. I’m going a little early to really scout it out. I just want to make sure it’s good enough for Opal’s birthday dinner next week. You know, she said she wanted to try it but I’m not about to invite the entire family to a place that might not be any good.” Kuvira huffed as if she were truly insulted that her sister had requested to try a new restaurant for her own birthday. The nerve.

“Yeah, go ‘scout it out’. That’s totally normal behavior.” I mumbled through a smirk as I opened the door. “Can you just lock up before you leave? Oh, and make sure _she_ doesn’t sneak out the door this time.” I narrowed my eyes toward my old grey cat perched on the windowsill. She smiled in response, if I didn’t know any better.

“On it. Thanks for coming with me tonight, by the way.” Kuvira hadn’t always been huge on thank yous and apologies…and other simple acknowledgements but she was working on it.

I closed the door behind me and stepped out into the rain.

********

The market was crowded, despite the weather. People here were pretty serious about their local fruits and vegetables. You’d never guess it, but the town’s cabbage merchant was even more financially well-off than some of his snootier customers. Guess you could say business was booming.

There was a small part of me that entertained the thought of opening up a booth at the market and living a simpler life. Success is a funny thing. I had worked incredibly hard to prove the validity of elemental energy as a primary source of clean power for the city. Our quadrant was the first in the country to utilize solar, wind and hydro energy exclusively thanks to my plans and designs. Owning the Future Energy company, providing jobs that people could be proud of it, all of that made me incredibly happy… but I wasn’t exactly satisfied.

I shook the thought of work from my head as I continued to pass between the various carts and crowds of people with wide umbrellas. I pulled my hood tighter around my face as the rain picked up.

“Hi, Bolin.” I said as I approached my favorite merchant’s table, parting through the crowd. Bolin sold the best root vegetables around, hands down, and his table was surrounded because of it. Everyone was huddled close under the awning of his cart to get their items but I found my way to the front with a few shoves and apologies.

“Asami! You’re…” He looked down at his wrist where a watch would normally be. “Three minutes late!” He laughed as a goofy grin spread across his face.

I instinctively began collecting the items I came for as Bolin rambled on about the fresh crops, the people he’d already seen that day and his brother. He always acted as though I was the only guest at his table—he just had that kind of charm about him. But it wasn’t lost on me that Bolin had been planting a seed about his brother’s “awesomeness” for some time now, no doubt hoping to play matchmaker. Apparently, his older brother had gone through a rough breakup earlier in the year but was ready to get back out there.

I was a little tired of the pursuit, but Bolin meant well so I nodded along as I filled my knit bag with ginger, carrots and garlic.

“Well, do tell Mako I said congrats on his promotion to Fire Chief. Very impressive!” I smiled genuinely and paid for the items.

A slight tug on my bag suddenly pulled me from the moment. I looked down to find that my carrots were gone but with my hood blocking my view I wasn’t sure how exactly they had vanished.

“Wait…what?” I pulled my bag in front of me to inspect it and spun around to check the ground, wondering if I had somehow dropped the goods.

I looked back up at Bolin who was equally confused. At the same time, we both checked beneath the table.

My eyes settled on a large, fluffy white dog under Bolin’s table, munching away on a whole bundle of carrots—my carrots.

“Naga! Nooo!!” A loud voice yelled from behind me.

I turned around quickly but still couldn’t find the source of the voice amongst the crowd of black raincoats and umbrellas.

“...Korra.” I heard Bolin respond, in a rather curt manner compared to his usually boisterous tone, as the woman finally pushed her way to the front of the crowd.

“Oh, man! I’m soooo sorry, Bolin!” She huffed out as she pressed up next to me.

It was amazing that I hadn’t noticed her before that moment because she stood out like a sore a thumb. While everyone else was desperately trying to avoid the weather, she seemed to be completely unaware that it was pouring rain. Her damp clothes clung to her sculpted body in a sinful way that anyone with a pulse would have noticed. I wasn’t gawking. I was just…noticing. No umbrella, no raincoat. Nothing. Her chin-length, choppy brown hair was soaked all the way through as she ran her fingers through it to clear her face.

“I’m SO sorry, Bolin.” The woman repeated. “NAGA. Drop it!” She knelt down and pulled the last remaining carrot from the big dog’s mouth before righting herself back up.

“Don’t apologize to me, Korra. Ms. Sato is actually the one Naga robbed.” Bolin gestured to me and I quickly pulled my gaze up from the woman’s body and tried to focus on her impossibly blue eyes instead. Equally distracting, to be honest, but a much more appropriate point of focus.

She cocked her head to the side as she took me in, apparently only just realizing that I was right beside her. “Uh…do you want this back…Ms. Sato?” She held out the slobbery carrot to me and her smile slid up to the left side.

Still completely bewildered by the drenched and stunning woman, and now trying to adjust to her impossibly cute, crooked smile, I finally managed to laugh and find my tongue.

“It’s Asami. And uhhh…” I glanced down at the dirty carrot. “She can keep it. Naga, was it?”

The dog jumped up at the mention of her name and pressed her head against my palm. I roughed her up behind the ears and waited for her owner’s response.

Korra laughed and shook her head, tiny droplets of water fell from the ends of her hair and ran down her chest. “Yep, that’s Naga and I think she is saying thank you.” She laughed again; a slight pink blush bloomed on her dark skin. “I’m Korra. And…I am also saying thank you.”

She held out her hand in greeting, her smile still tugging across her face. How long does a normal handshake last? Two pumps? Three? I don’t know who was at fault, but we were stuck in a loop. Just…shaking hands and staring at each other with dopey grins for a lost amount of time.

Bolin cleared his throat loudly and drew our attention his way. We quickly released our grip on each other and turned to face him. It took me a minute to hear him over the sound of my heart pounding in my ears.

“Asami?" He repeated for at least the second time. "Why don’t you take another bundle of carrots, on the house.” I was sure I noticed him glare at Korra for a moment before passing over the veggies.

“No, no. Let me cover it!” Korra interjected and started fishing around for her wallet. “Here…” She glanced at my bag and seemed to take inventory. “…throw in some turmeric too. Looks like you’re making a curry?” She handed Bolin the cash and picked out the fresh turmeric before passing it my way.

“How did you….” I started.

“Just a guess!” Korra shrugged and started backing away with Naga following suit. She looked quickly from me to Bolin and then back to me. “Sorry again! It was really nice to meet you, Asami.” She hooked Naga to her leash and disappeared further into the market. 

“You too…” I muttered far too late for her to hear.

I said a quick goodbye to Bolin and rushed off to buy my usual flowers. I had no intention of standing in the rain as long as I had been, and I was starting to feel soaked to the bone. It was hard to shake the thought of this strange woman I had just met from my head as I made my way home. Did I desperately want to get home and take a hot shower? Yes. But would I rather run into her again and stand in the rain for as long as she wanted? Also, yes.

I made it home without another glimpse of her.

********

I pulled up to the valet at Raava and took a deep breath. I didn’t really trust anyone else driving my car but Kuvira had messaged earlier to let me know parking was a nightmare, so valet was really the only option. If my motorcycle wasn’t in a thousand pieces in my garage, I would have driven that and found a spot for it easily. Not that the weather was great for it anyway… So, four wheels it was. I’m sure the kid I handed my keys to had fun with all the mods I’d added to soup it up. I tipped him handsomely in advance, hoping to dissuade him from doing anything too crazy. I tried not to think about that as I made my way inside.

The restaurant was dimly lit under a cool blue hue and was incredibly sleek, but the design was nothing compared to the amazing smell that greeted me at the doorway. Again, I felt reminded of something I couldn’t remember. I swallowed the thought down and let the host lead me to Kuvira.

Of course, I was 10 minutes early which was late according to Kuvira.

She raised her thick eyebrows at me as I took a seat across from her. She looked handsome, as always, in a well-tailored jet-black blazer. The emerald shirt beneath it hung loose, carelessly buttoned just below her chest, revealing her silver chains lying flat against her skin. She somehow always looked effortlessly put together.

“Hope it’s okay, I already ordered a bunch of stuff from the menu so we can get a good sampling. Should be out soon.” Kuvira took a sip of her red wine and leaned back in her chair.

“Hello to you too.” I laughed and slid my purse beneath the table. “It smells amazing in here. I’m sure it’ll be fine for Opal’s dinner, Kuv.”

“Yeah…I don’t know. The owner gave me a tour earlier—introduced me to the kitchen staff and the Executive Chef…” She frowned and took another sip from her glass.

“And? That’s somehow a bad thing?” I reached out for my own glass of wine, which Kuvira must have previously ordered. Not my favorite quality of hers but I'd learned to appreciate the sentiment.

“The chef’s a hot head. I can just tell. Rubbed me the wrong way.” She looked back toward the kitchen.

The layout of the restaurant allowed for an open view of the fire pit, where various meats were being slow roasted beside the carving station. The majority of the kitchen staff were in plain sight, working their magic. I followed Kuvira’s gaze to the area and waited for her to point out the person who had obviously offended her.

“Well, I don’t see them right now. They’re probably out back taking a break. Lazy.” She shook her head in distaste.

“I mean…the head chef is kind of the boss, right? They’re supposed to delegate. Ease up, okay? Let’s just wait until we eat the food to judge the place.” I reached out and squeezed Kuvira’s shoulder. When she got this tightly wound, she really only responded to a physical acknowledgement.

Before she could reply, an array of food was being spread around the table. Seaweed noodles, sea prune stew, whole-roasted fish—all fitting fare for the authentic Arctic culinary theme of the restaurant. I pulled my hand from her shoulder and shifted my attention to the person standing beside the table.

“Thank you. This all looks…” I stopped short.

My mouth hung open, wordlessly, before I forced myself to snap it shut.

The woman I had met at the market that morning stared back at me, equally wide-eyed, and then quickly averted her gaze back toward Kuvira.

She swallowed hard and cleared her throat.

“Ms. Beifong, I wanted to bring your meal out myself. It seems we might have started off on the wrong foot earlier and I wanted to be sure you were happy here tonight.” Korra smiled brightly, although it wasn’t the same crooked smile, I had seen earlier that day.

“I do appreciate your effort, Chef Korra.” Kuvira responded, rather coldly.

Embarrassment formed like a hot rope around my neck. I kicked her gently beneath the table, hoping to jar her out of her moodiness while I took over the conversation.

“Everything looks and smells fantastic…and you certainly did not need to bring it out yourself, _Chef_ Korra.” I tried to contain my obvious thrill at seeing her again but I’m sure half of the restaurant could hear my heart pumping in my chest. “It is nice to see you again though.”

Korra’s smile canted up to the left. There it was—that smile I saw earlier. It was probably ridiculous to think she saved it for me…but I thought it anyway.

“Hi, Asami.” The sound of my name in her mouth made my heart beat even faster. I suppressed a chill and tried to focus as she continued. “Please, uh, let me know if anyone steals your carrots tonight. Can’t have that happen again.” She laughed and gestured to the plate of honey-glazed carrots on the table. “Enjoy your evening, ladies.” She quickly nodded to Kuvira and headed back to the kitchen.

“What the heck was that?” Kuvira’s dark green eyes were trained on me with the utmost interest as I busied myself with the food on the table.

“I actually briefly met the chef today at the market. Only…I didn’t know she was the chef. Her dog ate my carrots. Small world, huh?” My cheeks were on fire and my heart wasn’t settling down, but I tried to sound more nonchalant than I was feeling.

Kuvira laughed and seemed to relax for the first time all evening. It had taken us a while to get to this point, but she was genuinely happy to see me happy. We had no room for jealousy in our friendship.

“WOW. You are practically swooning. I’ve never seen you blush this hard, maybe ever.” Kuvira took a bite of her seaweed noodles and moaned. “Okay. I’m not sure what she put in these noodles but I’m totally falling for her now too. Damn.” She laughed and took another big bite.

“You’re ridiculous. I’m not swooning! She seems very…nice. That’s all.” I scarfed down the food in front of me and tried to chill out. Kuvira was set on riling me up and the last thing I needed to do was get worked up over someone I barely knew. She probably wasn’t even interested in women, let alone me.

“Yeah. Nice in the streets, mean in the sheets. Sounds like your type.” Kuvira wagged her eyebrows at me and we both fell into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

We _might_ have downed our first glass of wine a little too quickly.

“Stop that.” I finally hissed out. “Did you see how fast she ran away from our table? She’s not into me.”

Kuvira almost choked on her refreshed glass of wine. “Asami. Everyone is into you. Leave your phone number on the check. I guarantee she’ll call you.”

I chewed my lip and considered Kuvira’s advice before deciding against it. I just wasn’t like her. When she wanted something, she was bold and surefire. I preferred to be a little more calculated and patient. 

We left the restaurant together, stopping on the way out to make a reservation for Opal’s party the following Friday. I glanced back at the kitchen, hoping to catch sight of Korra again but she was nowhere to be found.

Good things come to those who wait, right?


	2. SWEAT: Korra POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra tries to exercise out her attraction and jealousy.

“She’s here!” I burst into the back office of the restaurant, loosening my chef’s coat to let a little air in.

“Oh! She is??” Kya looked up from her desk and smirked. She gestured for me to take a free seat.

“YES. She’s here. At the restaurant. Right now.” I took a deep breath and plopped down into an armchair.

Kya was technically my boss, as the owner of the restaurant, but we were more like family. Although she was nearly twice my age, she was the closest thing to a sister I had growing up in our small tribe.

We’d decided to open Raava together to bring a little piece of home to the big city.

“Right. Okay. And who the heck is ‘ _she_ ’, if you don’t mind filling me in on your little crisis?” Kya moved to the front of her desk and sat on the edge, waiting for me to elaborate.

I laughed at myself and tried to slow my mind down a bit. Of course, Kya had already forgotten that I had told her about my run-in at the market that morning…but Asami was all I had been able to think about all day. Those light green eyes, red lips, her laugh, her hand in mine, the bit of raven hair the edged out from her raincoat, how kind she was to Naga…those red lips. Did I already mention that? Okay, my mind was racing again.

“The woman from the market. You know. Naga stole her produce. _Asami Sato_. Remember? I told you about her this morning.” I took a deep breath and waited for Kya to clue into the seriousness of the matter.

“Ohhh, yes. Mhmm. I distinctly remember how many times you mentioned her lips. Not creepy or anything, by the way.” Kya chuckled and tucked a strand of white hair behind her jeweled ear. “And she’s here now…looking for you?” 

I sighed and slumped further in the chair. “No. Definitely not. She’s on a date with a total jerk…That woman, Kuvira Beifong, who made us give her the royal treatment and full tour earlier, if you can believe that!” I rolled my eyes. “I just went out there to hand deliver her order, trying to play nice, and that’s when I saw who she was with.” 

I hardly knew Asami at all, but it was still hard to picture her with someone as rude as Kuvira. I had spent the earlier part of the evening showing Kuvira around the kitchen, answering her incessant questioning, and it was a living nightmare. I'm proud of what Kya and I built. I knew Raava was new, but I didn’t really like being judged by some random customer. 

But also, in some weird way, I was kind of glad to see Asami here with Kuvira. Seeing her with a woman gave me a little hope. Fuck, I wish there was something you could wear if you were…sapphically inclined. A purple lotus pin or something? I don't know. It would make life so much easier. But no. Instead, I have to settle for seeing this amazing person on a date with a complete asshole as my sign. Fun.

“Yikes. That lady was really…something.” Kya shook her head. “Sorry to hear that though, Korra. You know, Asami’s the one missing out.” Kya moved beside my chair and rested her hand on my shoulder. “Why don’t you take a minute to yourself back here…I’ll just be…”

“Going out on the floor to spy on them and see for yourself?” I frowned at Kya, knowing her well enough to see that her curiosity was outweighing her desire to sit and hear me mope. “They’re at table 10.” I sighed.

“Thanks! Take your time!” She said in an obnoxiously sing-songy way and slipped out the door. 

By the time I emerged from the office to check on my staff, Asami and Kuvira were gone.

Probably for the best, I thought to myself. It wouldn’t have done me much good to see Asami leave hand-in-hand with her date. Although, I did kind of regret not getting to see her in-full. She had looked absolutely stunning sitting at the table…I could only imagine what her entire look was like. Good thing I had a pretty good imagination.

I made the rounds and visited a few tables to make sure the guests were happy with their meals. I mostly just wanted to curl up into a ball and wish this entire day away but chatting with customers was a decent enough distraction from the failure of the night.

Just as I was gearing up to return to the back of house, Kya waved me over to the main entrance where she was in conversation with our host, Jinora.

To be honest, Jinora was overqualified for the position of host but she wouldn’t accept a promotion, claiming that she found purpose in being the first impression for the guests. Kya and I joked that she was waiting to take over as manager and wouldn’t settle for anything in between. It probably wasn’t far from the truth.

“Hey, Chef!” Jinora smiled wide as if holding a secret behind her teeth. I just knew that Kya had already told her about my stupid crush that ended up being crushing. No secrets in our restaurant, that’s for sure. 

“Hi, Jinora.” I narrowed my eyes to show I was skeptical. “Kya…” I switched my stare over to her.

“Jinora, why don’t you tell Chef Korra what you were just sharing with me before she bores a hole through us with her _very_ tough, _very_ serious glare.” Kya laughed and nodded toward Jinora.

“Well, two things. First, the guests from table 10 made reservations to return with a large group this coming Friday.” She waited.

“Great. Can’t wait to see the happy couple again.” I grimaced.

“And second…” She reached below the host stand and pulled out a black leather purse. “The woman with the _red lips_ left this behind.” She grinned at me innocently and I decided to let it slide that she was clearly ribbing me with that red lips comment. 

“And?” I tried not to act interested.

“Come on, Korra.” Kya finally chimed in. “You know you want to return it to her. You have tomorrow morning off, right? What could it hurt?”

“Yeah! Just peek at her ID and you’ll have her address and everything! I know I’d like it if someone did something so kind for me…” Jinora passed the purse over to me without giving me the option to object.

“Yeah. I guess…” I twisted the purse around in my hands, suppressing every urge to dig in and find out more about Asami. “It’s, uh, probably the right thing to do?” I shrugged and glanced between Kya and Jinora.

“Mhmm. Heroic, even.” Kya laughed and nudged me with her elbow. “Now, get back into the kitchen and finish out the night, Romeo.”

********

Naga greeted me with about as much excitement as if I’d been gone for a week when I finally made it home from work.

“Hey, girl. You hold down the fort while I was gone?” She lapped up my face as I hurried to open up the backdoor for her. “Okay, there ya go.” I stepped back and waved my hand in the direction of the yard, but she didn’t budge.

“What?” I followed her eye line to Asami’s bag under my arm. “Oh, yeah. Remember that nice lady from the market? She left this behind at the restaurant tonight. Can you believe it?”

Naga tilted her head at me and wagged her tail.

“Noooo. Don’t get excited. It’s not like that. Now, go outside before the neighbor’s hear me talking to you and start thinking I am crazier than I am.” I gave her a push and leaned against the door frame while she ran around and did her thing. 

She finally bounded back through the door, gave Asami’s bag a good sniff, and settled down on the couch to gnaw on an antler.

I stripped off my grimy uniform and jumped right into the shower. Asami’s purse remained on my coffee table under Naga’s supervision, begging to be rifled through, but I needed to wash off the day and clear my head first.

I always felt better in the water—a hot shower, cold rain, the ocean—didn’t really matter as long as I was wet. I had originally moved to the city for university and a water polo scholarship. And I really loved being in the pool, but it turns out I actually liked cooking nice meals for my team even more. Go figure. 

As the scalding shower water rolled down my back, I thought about how different my life would be if I had just joined the country’s professional team instead of applying for culinary school after graduation.

Asami’s black leather bag wouldn’t be sitting on my coffee table, that’s for sure.

I let the steam loosen up my sore muscles as I twisted and stretched beneath the powerful stream. I was somehow exhausted and restless at the same time. I wondered if Asami’s house was close enough for me to bring the purse over on foot in the morning. I could use a run and some fresh air. 

The thought spiked my curiosity to an unavoidable level, and I finally shut the shower off. I needed to look in that purse.

Hardly bothering to dry off, I wrapped a towel around my damp skin and headed for the couch.

Okay, I mumbled to myself, just find the ID and write down her address. Don’t snoop.

Yeah, right.

I dug in and pulled out the first thing my fingers touched: an ornate gold and black switch blade.

Okay…not what I was expecting. I smiled. Who the heck was this woman? Deadly Assassin Asami? I could think of worse ways to go.

I reached back in and pulled out a half-eaten bag of sour candy. Maybe she held someone at knifepoint to obtain this candy? I laughed to myself at the thought.

Back in the bag, I finally fished out her wallet. It shouldn’t be allowed for someone to take an amazing license photo but Asami looked phenomenal in hers. Her thick, black wavy hair hung around her shoulders and her smile was almost coy.

It took me a minute to remember what I was doing.

I focused in on her birth date, noting that she was only a year older than me. I was sure Kya would have something to say about her being a Capricorn… I didn’t know much about the signs but Kya was all over it.

Right. The address.

I plugged her location into my phone and, sure enough, it was just a couple miles away. Perfect distance for a short run in the morning.

With everything back in the bag, I forced myself to get ready for bed. It was already incredibly late, and I wanted to be up early enough to catch Asami before she worried too much about her lost purse.

********

I slept like a baby. And by that, I mean an actual baby. Tossing and turning, waking up hungry multiple times, cranky, that kind of thing. By the time the sun was up, so was I. 

How early was too early to show up announced at someone’s house on a Sunday? I rolled around under the covers trying to force the hands on the clock to move past 7AM, at least. I mean, I had no idea what Asami did for a living…she might work on Sundays. Or maybe she had spent the night at her girlfriend’s house. Or…maybe her girlfriend spent the night at her house. Maybe they lived together? How would I know? They arrived separately to the restaurant… Seems like they would have come together, if that were the case. Fuck, I was not ready to bump into Kuvira again. Especially not if they both came to the door, all disheveled in their pajamas, boasting their domestic bliss. I grit my teeth together and tried to push the image of Asami in nothing but an oversized shirt, probably one of Kuvira’s, out of my mind. 

If I wasn’t worried about leaving her purse on the front step, I’d probably just drop it off and run away. Fast. But…I’d never forgive myself if someone stole it because I was being a coward. Plus, it's probably frowned upon to play ding-dong-ditch at 30 years old. Right?

I had to put a stop to my spiraling thoughts, so I finally slipped out of bed to get ready for the day. Better to get this over with.

Not that I was overthinking it, but I picked out my favorite gym clothes. I didn’t want to look like a total scrub when I showed up at Asami’s. I’d be sweaty, no doubt, but she had already seen me drenched in the rain so what was the difference, really. I checked out my reflection in the mirror as I pulled the top half of my hair up into a knot. Nothing fancy, fitted black shorts and a thin blue tank top. I flexed and laughed at my image in the mirror before making my way to the kitchen. 

Asami’s purse was right where I left it and it stared back at me as Naga and I inhaled our breakfasts. It wasn’t like me to have a small meal but I was feeling unusually anxious so coffee and toast would have to do.

Okay, and an apple. With peanut butter. Right, so maybe being anxious made me more hungry rather than less. 

I finished the rest of my morning routine in record time, even though I may or may not have brushed my teeth twice.

“Alright, Naga. Wish me luck?” I bent down and kissed the top of her head. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she gave me a knowingly sympathetic look in return.

I shoved the purse into a small backpack to make the run a little easier and flew out the door. 

********

The hill that led up to Asami’s house was a brutal end to my 2 mile near-sprint. How was I supposed to know the run would end in a steep incline? Not that I would have been able to pace myself, even if I had. Let’s be real.

I caught my breath at the top of the hill and took in the view. Whatever Asami did for work, she must have been pretty…comfortable. The neighborhood was one of my favorites in the city, close enough to walk to a popular main street but also far enough away from downtown that you could still have a yard and a quiet night. Also, it’s where the best farmer’s market was hosted. Well, I guess that explains why she was there yesterday… She must have walked.

Suddenly, I was standing in Asami’s yard, lost in a fantasy of walking through the rain to the market together. Meanwhile, I was sure she and Kuvira were cuddled up in bed still, unaware that I was about to interrupt their morning. 

I shook the thought away and walked up to the door. Just ring the bell, hand over the purse, and get out of there, I told myself.

The doorbell chimed and I tried to saturate my mouth which had instantly gone dry.

Nothing.

Not even the sound of footsteps inside.

I waited.

Still nothing.

Oh, god…They’re asleep, I thought.

The only option for me was to slowly creep away from the door and try to continue on my run as if this never happened. I’d bring the purse back to Raava and let Asami retrace her steps back to it. 

I backed away toward the sidewalk. Just as I was turning on my heel, I heard a loud, metallic, thunk.

The noise came from the far side of Asami’s house and I just couldn’t leave it alone. I had to peek, really quick. Then, I would run away and pretend I was never there.

The grass was thick and trimmed beneath my feet as I snuck over to the edge of the driveway. An incredibly fragrant garden hugged the perimeter and I stopped to appreciate the selection of flowers before I continued my sleuthing. It was obvious that Asami really took pride in her house and yard. I could easily picture her being hands on with every aspect. 

I smiled and looked back down at the garden, wondering which flower was her absolute favorite. Surely, there was a favorite.

“Korra??” Asami’s voice rang in my ears and pulled me back to reality. I looked up quickly to face the source, hoping that I had imagined the sound and wasn’t about to be face-to-face with Asami as I stood in her garden. “Chef Korra?” She repeated, just as shocked.

No such luck. It was definitely Asami. And I was definitely caught. There she was, covered in oil and holding a socket wrench, with her sage eyes widening by the moment.

“Uh. Hi!” I stuttered out and tried to stand more casually, as if being in the middle of her yard was remotely casual.

She laughed and canted her head to the side, her confusion still spreading visibly across her face. “What…are you doing here? Not that I mind the surprise visit.” She laughed again.

Her naturally calm and kind nature was addictive. I finally laughed and relaxed. An uncontrollable smile quirked up the side of my face.

I pulled my backpack around in front of me and dug her purse out of it. “We found this at the restaurant last night. It’s yours, right?” I tried to play it cool and passed the bag over to her.

She wiped her hand on her pants and reached for the purse. “Oh! Wow. That’s actually super unlike me. Thank you!” Her smile suddenly turned more playful. “But…I’m sure you must have looked inside to find my address, right? So, you definitely knew it was mine.” She chuckled and shook her head.

Oops. So much for playing it cool, I thought.

“Well. Yeah. That’s…true.” I laughed and shifted the backpack straps back over my shoulders, readying myself to say goodbye. Clearly, she was in the middle of something and I was being far less smooth than I’d ever admit to anyone. I needed to get out of there.

Asami’s eyes darted around my body, probably putting the pieces together that I was in the middle of a run. Although, when her eyes finally landed back on mine, I noticed a pink blush spread across her cheeks as if she had been caught doing something…naughty?

“Uh…” She mumbled through a shy smile, flipping her hair out from behind her shoulder. “Thank you, again. Seriously.” She adjusted her grip on the bag and glanced around me toward her garage. “Do you maybe want to come inside for a glass of water before you finish your run? It’s the least I can do to…”

“Yes!” I answered before she had even finished. “I mean, that would be great. Your hill really took it out of me there at the end.” I smiled again which seemed to only darken the pink on her cheeks.

“Great. Just let me put this wrench back in the garage and then we can head in.” She started walking back in the direction she must have come from. “You coming?” She turned around and motioned for me to follow her.

I nodded far too emphatically and was glad she had missed it.

Asami’s garage was like a toy store for adrenaline junkies. A motorcycle was in pieces across the floor, a ski set and snowmobile were in the corner, a punching bag hung from the rafters. I took it all in before focusing my attention back on her.

I pulled the bottom of my shirt up to wipe the sweat from my face and let it fall back down. “Are you building this yourself?” I pointed to the motorcycle as Asami walked back from dropping the wrench, rather loudly, into her toolbox. She must have fumbled it, I thought. 

“Mhmm. Just a way to keep my hands busy.” Her gaze darted down to my abdomen and back to my face. She was probably noticing the sweat I had just added to my shirt.

“Oh, yeah? That’s one way to do it!” I laughed and folded my arms under my chest, hoping to obscure her view. “I’ve never even been on one, let alone built one…” 

“Really!? I definitely pictured you owning a bike. Not that I had imagined that previously...I mean…I just thought of it right now. First time. Definitely.” She laughed genuinely and shoved her hands into her pockets. 

Even though she seemed flustered, for some reason, the sound of her low laughter eased the tension out of my shoulders. It felt good to be around her in a way that was almost…familiar. We didn’t know each other but it felt like we were meant to. Or something.

I tried to contain my smile, but it slipped into place on its own accord.

“Sorry to ruin the fantasy!” I joked and quickly regretted how it came out. I tried to move on. “I actually don’t even like to drive.” I shrugged. “Never really learned. Trust me, it’s better for everyone.”

Her eyebrows shot up her forehead as if I had just revealed something horrible. “No way!” She paused and seemed to collect her thoughts while pinning her lip under her teeth. “Once I’m done putting this thing together…I’d love to take you for a ride. And then, if you’re feeling up to it, I could teach you a thing or two?” She kicked at a spare part and turned to lead the way back toward the house.

She probably offered rides to everyone, just to show off her craftsmanship, nothing more. I tried not to think much of it although the thought of sitting with my legs and arms wrapped around her on a bike was…overwhelming.

“I’m sure you could…” I mumbled under my breath.

“Hmmm?” She turned and looked back at me.

“Oh! Uh. I just said, ‘That’d be cool!’” I gulped. “You’ll have to come by the restaurant when it’s ready and we can go for a spin. I’m pretty much always there and I can definitely take a quick break for such an important occasion.” Would I rather invite her to my house? Of course. But that seemed a bit presumptuous.

Asami seemed deflated for a passing moment but she moved on quickly. “Deal. Well, let’s get you that water, huh?” She motioned for me to follow her back to the house.

Despite my best efforts, I could not keep my eyes off of her as she carved the path in front of me. No one should look that hot while working in the garage. It’s just not right. She had her mechanic’s coveralls peeled down to her waist, with the arms tied around her hips to keep it in place. Her white sleeveless undershirt was covered in oil stains…but in a sexy way. Does that make any sense? And, again, her full lips were spread with a deep shade of red.

I pulled my hair out of the tie and ran my fingers through the mess. I was starting to feel like a toad compared to this woman.

We reached the house and she turned around with her hand on the doorknob.

“Thirsty?" She smiled and pulled the door open.

It really seemed like she was…flirting. Or teasing me somehow. But before I could respond a grey flash shot out of the door and flew past my leg.

“Agh! My cat!” Asami rolled her eyes and ran back down the porch steps, chasing after the runaway. “Sorry! I’ll be right back!” She yelled.

Instinctively, I followed close behind her. “We’ll get them!” I assured her. “What’s their name??”

“Kat.” She answered quickly, squatting down to peek under her car.

I moved around to the other side to check the wheel wells. “Kat??” I asked. “Sorry. Your cat’s name is Kat?” I continued the hunt but couldn’t let the question go unasked.

Asami laughed and moved quickly over to the hedges, yelling out over her shoulder. “Her name is Katara. Kat for short.”

“Oooh. Okay. Cute.” I laughed and immediately began calling out for her.

“Oh! There!” I pointed toward Asami’s cherry tree and Katara nonchalantly perched on a low branch.

We both ran to the tree and worked on coaxing her down. A quick thought crossed my mind about whether Katara got along with dogs. Not that it mattered. I just…thought it. 

It honestly didn’t take much to get her back into Asami’s arms, but it felt good to help. Kya would probably tease me for accomplishing another “heroic” act.

We began our trek back toward the house with Asami introducing me to her cat, officially.

“Korra, this is Katara. She has recently decided that she would like to explore the world on some great mission and therefore tries to escape every chance she gets.” Asami opened the door to the house again, her arms still wrapped tightly around her cat. “But honestly, it’s usually Kuvira that lets her out. I’m not typically so…distracted, I guess.”

Kuvira. Right.

I shouldn’t be here, I thought.

“I’m sorry if that was my fault.” I hoped Asami wasn’t mad that I had distracted her somehow. “I should probably get going anyway. I didn’t mean to interrupt your day!” I pulled the straps tighter on my backpack and began to turn away.

“Oh.” Asami frowned and chewed her bottom lip. “Well, thank you again, Korra.” She called out as the distance between us grew.

“No problem!” I yelled.

“Maybe I’ll see you around?” She yelled back, as if it were normal to continue the conversation from across the yard.

“Yeah!” I started my way down the hill and, before I could suck the words back into my mouth, I called out, “I’m sure I’ll see you on Friday!”

I spent the entire run home hoping she didn’t think too much about me knowing about her reservation. 


	3. OCEAN: Asami POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asami tries to wade through the rough seas of desire.

Typically, at the end of a long work week, the last thing I wanted to do was go out with the entire Beifong family. They are incredible, don’t get me wrong. Even Kuv’s aunt, Lin, who really takes her time warming up to anyone new, was one of my favorite people on the planet. But there was always drama when they were together as a whole group. I hoped, for Opal’s sake, that they would keep it to a minimum for her birthday.

And even though this particular event had started as a best-friend-obligation to Kuvira, it had turned into more of an…excuse for me to run into Korra again. Hopefully. So, I rushed home from work, actually eager to get ready for the party. 

It was hard to believe it was finally Friday. The week had really dragged along, as if someone left the parking brake on.

It had taken all of my restraint to stay away from Korra’s restaurant all week after her surprise visit to my house on Sunday had ended so awkwardly. It had been a risk to leave my purse behind at the restaurant that night, but I figured it would give me an excuse to go back the next day and possibly bump into Korra without Kuvira by my side—just in case she had gotten the wrong idea about us. I never expected that Korra would hand deliver it to my house the following morning. 

It seemed like everything was going so well when she showed up… but the way she left so abruptly really shocked me. I still didn’t know what I had said or done to turn her away like that. I could almost see her guard physically shoot up as she stepped backwards through my yard. At first, I wondered if maybe she just didn’t like cats! But it couldn’t have been that. She was an animal lover; you could just tell. So…maybe I had been too forward, too flirty, too obvious? I still didn’t know much about her availability. Or interest in women, for that matter.

Ugh. But she seemed interested! She really did. Didn’t she?

The glass panels on my door were highly reflective—she wasn’t aware that I could see her _looking_ at me as we approached the house from the garage. And she was definitely looking. The points of her focus on my body actually felt…hot. Just from her stare. Is that a thing? 

I’m no saint. I was certainly guilty of letting my eyes wander too. It was nearly impossible to hold my gaze in one place, what with her running clothes struggling to contain her curves and cuts. I’m absolutely sure she caught me looking on more than one occasion. I mean, at one point she lifted up her shirt to wipe down her face, revealing the most toned stomach I had ever seen, and I actually threw my wrench. Just…chucked it right into the toolbox. I don’t think she noticed, thankfully. But it was pretty hard to catch my footing after that. She looked so powerful yet soft…like the ocean embodied. I’ve decided, without actual proof, that she must be the most amazing cuddler. 

Amongst other things.

I was only half dressed, with just 30 minutes until Kuvira was set to pick me up, and there I was, busy giving into obscene daydreams.

Kuvira was going to kill me.

********

She honked two times in succession just as I was slipping my heels on. “Calm down, I’m hurrying.” I spoke in Kuvira's general direction for no one’s benefit but my own.

She honked again as if in response. Typical.

It was a nice night, no need for a coat. My black dress was fairly simple: Fitted on my hips, tailored to mid-thigh, with a plunging opening exposing my back. The thin straps that crossed at the base of the opening were braided with gold thread. Okay, it was a little more than simple. Not that I was dressing to impress anyone. Kuvira and her family had seen me at my worst. They weren’t judging my chosen birthday party outfit, that’s for sure.

Another honk rang through the hills as I finally locked my door behind me and ran over to Kuvira’s jeep.

“You do know we’ll still be the first ones to arrive, right?” I huffed as I clicked my seatbelt into place.

“Yeah, I know.” She smiled, peeling out of the driveway and speeding through the neighborhood. “I actually thought you might want to be there early enough to spend a little quality time with your girlfriend before the party.” She reached down and turned up the radio, still grinning. 

I glared at her and turned the volume back down. “Oh, my girlfriend, huh? You’re going to be a terror tonight. I can just tell.”

“Me? No way. I’m the ultimate wing-woman. _The Great Uniter_ , if you will.” Kuvira laughed. “Chef Korra might not be my favorite person but… you are. So, if you’re into her—I’m on it.” 

“You’re ridiculous!” I laughed through my embarrassment. “Please don’t do anything extreme. I’m pretty sure this whole thing is a lost cause. I just want to enjoy Opal’s birthday. That’s all!”

“Mhmm, that is exactly what _that_ dress is saying: Happy Birthday, Opal!” Kuvira adjusted the music again and I knew that was the end of that. 

She knew me too well.

********

The owner of the restaurant, Kya, was at the host podium when we arrived and led us to the private dining room. I’m sure it had something to do with whatever vibe Kuvira gave off when she visited last week, but it seemed like we were getting extra special treatment. They probably just didn’t want to run the risk of upsetting her…but Kya was particularly friendly to me, for whatever reason. I liked her immediately, she was snarky but sweet in a striking way, but I wasn’t sure why was giving me such undivided attention.

I glanced around for any sign of Korra on the walk through the dining room but no such luck.

Kya gestured to the table and we took our seats. “I’m glad to have you both back at Raava so soon.” She smiled and her light blue eyes sparkled just like Korra’s. “Our chef has prepared something extra special for your group tonight.”

Maybe I was imagining it, but Kya might have winked at me when she said, “ _our chef_.” Couldn’t be… 

“Your server will be with you shortly but don’t hesitate to shout for me if you need anything. I’ll be out on the floor all evening. Chef Korra has taken over my office for the night, planning the menu for next week.” She grinned. “Alright, enjoy!”

And with that, she disappeared, leaving us alone in the private room.

I turned to face Kuvira beside me—she looked about as amused as I felt.

“Did you feel like that was weird information to just tack on at the end of her greeting?” I asked, still trying to understand Kya’s preamble.

“Oh, definitely. Super weird. Unless…” She rubbed her chin and seemed to be calculating something.

“Spit it out.” I gave her a nudge in the ribs just as the door to the room opened and in poured the family.

Kuvira grinned and ignored me in order to welcome the crowd.

“Heyyyy. Hi. You’re all late but I still love you.” Kuvira stood up and hugged everyone, squeezing Opal extra hard in typical rough, older sister fashion.

Kya returned with a tray of Southern Water Tribe whiskey shots the moment the seats were filled.

“Water Tribe birthday tradition! On the house!” She called out as she quickly passed the shots around to each individual.

I couldn’t help but notice Lin’s jaw drop when she locked eyes on her. The moment Kya slipped back out the door, Lin’s hardened expression was right back in place. 

Guess I’m not the only one lusting after someone in this restaurant, I thought.

Everyone knocked back their shots, groaning in unison as the fire water traveled down our throats. Their whiskey was no joke. My mind suddenly raced back to Korra—realizing she must be native to the Southern Water Tribe like Kya. Just as I was building up her entire backstory in my head, Kuvira tapped her knife against her water glass.

Her passionate and long-winded follow-up speech in Opal’s honor had everyone rolling their eyes and fidgeting in their chairs. Kuvira loved a good soap-box moment and, to be honest, we all loved her for it. But when you’re hungry, it’s a little difficult to grin and bear it.

Lin finally jumped in, as she was one to do. “Alright, Kuvira. Wrap it up. The food’s getting cold.”

Kuvira sat back down, defeated but still smiling. “Lin, we don’t even have our food yet…” 

“Exactly. Even worse. I’m starving so less talking, more ordering.” Lin laughed once and tapped her menu, glancing around at the family to encourage everyone to figure out their orders. 

With everyone busy reading the curated menu, I leaned over and whispered to Kuvira. “I’m going to run to the bathroom to wash my hands. Just order me the seaweed noodles if the server shows up before I’m back.”

“Mhmm…” Kuvira narrowed her stare at me. “Take your time.” 

I squinted back at her. Take my time? Washing my hands? That shot went straight to her head, I thought.

“Do you know where it is, by the way?” I tried to crane my neck to see through the partial glass walls of the party room.

A mischievousness lingered in Kuvira’s narrowed stare. “Yep! Go out the door, turn right down the thin hallway. It’s the second door on the left. It’s completely unmarked, for some reason. I already told them they should rectify that issue. Don’t worry.” She smiled authentically. 

“Cool…” I still wasn’t sure why she was looking at me like that, but I was anxious to get out of there, so I shook it off.

I didn’t really need to wash up, I just wanted a minute to myself. If I happened to run into Korra on the way, so be it.

Kuvira was right, as per usual. The door had no restroom indicator on it whatsoever. But she had gotten the full tour, so I trusted her directions and let myself in.

I held a gasp in my mouth as the door shut softly behind me.

“Yeah, yeah, I know I shouldn’t still be hiding in your office…” Korra mumbled without bothering to look up from the desk.

I stood with my back against the closed door, mortified that Kuvira had sent me to Kya’s office, knowing full well that Korra would be there alone. I knew she was going to be a terror tonight but this with something else.

I fumbled for the doorknob as a completely inappropriate wave of excitement washed over me.

“Shit. I’m so sorry…” I started to stutter out an apology as Korra finally looked up and realized my intrusion.

“Asami!” She pushed back her chair from the desk and shot upright. “Hey!” Her face was about as red as I’m sure mine was.

“Hi!” I laughed nervously, still gripping the doorknob. Something kept me from moving any further. “I was just…”

“Coming by to return my purse?” Korra grinned and shrugged while walking around to the front of the desk. 

“I would kill for an excuse like that, actually!” I laughed again and dropped my hand from the knob to adjust my dress.

Korra’s eyes traveled quickly to my hands at the hem and back up to my face.

A palpable silence hung between us.

She rubbed the back of her neck and took a long breath.

“You look very nice. Amazing, really.” She finally spoke, her voice sweet and sure.

My heart was pounding in my chest and I was sure she could hear it. I watched her eyebrows knit together and wondered if she was feeling the same tension I was. A compliment didn’t necessarily mean anything.

“Thank you. You too.” I smiled.

Korra pulled at her chef’s coat and laughed, obviously rejecting the sentiment. But the truth was, she did look amazing. Her sleeves were rolled up and tight across her biceps and her coat’s collar buttons were unsnapped allowing a peek of skin across the top of her chest. 

“You’re too kind.” She laughed again. “Not exactly a party dress, but it does the job. Literally. Uh…and speaking of parties, did you lose yours? I can point you back in the direction of the private room, if you want? Kuvira doesn’t seem the patient type, no offense.” She grimaced playfully.

“Oh! Yeah. I should…” I stopped short. I suddenly felt an unshakeable urge to clear the air. Korra’s mention of Kuvira seemed rather pointed, after all. “Kuvira is…a lot. But she’s a good _f_ _riend_.”

God, I hoped that was obvious enough without seeming silly.

Korra raised her eyebrows and that crooked smile slipped into place. I could almost see the wheels turning behind her crystal blue eyes as she processed what I said. Those eyes were absolutely unreal—like glacial water beneath a clear sky. I shivered in place.

She laughed once under her breath and walked toward me with purpose. I stayed pressed against the door, unsure of her intention.

In a fluid movement, she reached beside my hip and gripped the doorknob next to me. Her smile was locked in place, our bodies just inches apart.

“How ‘bout we go back out together? I should say hello to your good _friend_.” Her eyes trailed down to my lips briefly and then locked back on my stare. 

Okay. So, she got the friend thing. Actually, it seemed like she _really_ got it. 

“I-uh..” I tried to form a sentence, to linger in this moment for just a minute longer before moving out of the way.

Again, her eyes were pulled down to my mouth and I watched as she saturated her own full lips, almost subconsciously.

Alright, enough of this “calculated and patient” bullshit, I thought to myself. There were a million demands bouncing around in my mouth, begging to be released: Kiss me, touch me, fuck me. I held them under my tongue, despite the heat building between my thighs.

I took a deep breath and went for the easiest option. “Get a drink with me tonight?” I finally blurted out. “After work?” I smiled at her shocked expression.

Korra bit her lower lip and released it from under her teeth. “Sounds perfect.” She nodded and a strand of hair slipped out from behind her ear, falling across her face.

Without thinking, I reached up and moved the piece back into place, holding my hand completely still beside her face as I realized what I had done.

“We should…” I mumbled.

“…Kiss?” Korra joked, a playfulness tugging at her smile as she cocked her head to the side.

I couldn’t help but laugh, despite the fact that she said exactly what I was thinking. Although, it’s certainly not what I was going to say. Korra was a dangerous combination of impossibly cute and painfully sexy. It was unnerving.

The answer to her question was an indisputable ‘yes’.

I slipped my hand down to the back of her neck and pulled her up toward me, pressing our lips together in a gentle kiss.

Korra moved her hand from the door and firmed it on my hip, pulling us even closer together. The pressure of her strong fingers, separated from my skin by only the thin fabric of my dress, was hardly enough to satisfy my want.

Her tongue softly teased at the part of our mouths, deepening the kiss as our hands grew greedier and more adventurous.

How private was Kya’s office anyway, I thought? My ability to stop what had started was decreasing with each roll of our tongues.

I tugged at her coat, desperate for more contact, as her warm fingers traced across the hem of my dress along my thigh, pulling upward. Her apparent hesitation was laced with thick desire and I wished she wouldn’t hold back.

We broke the kiss to catch our breath, taking each other in with thick excitement pulsing between us.

Korra laughed coolly. “Your friends are probably starting to worry about you…”

I dropped my head onto her shoulder and sighed. She was right but that didn’t make it any easier to swallow. “Yeah… I should really get back out there, huh?” I pressed my lips to her neck quickly and pulled back just barely, my mouth still hovering at her throat. “Or…we could stay in here…” I pressed my lips down again. “…and just hope they completely forgot I was ever at the dinner?” I leaned back and smiled at her innocently.

There was a flash of desire that spread across her expression in the most enticing way. Her pupils expanded with a neediness and greed that sent a chill across my skin. But I watched as she took a deep breath and shook it away, although her hands remained glued to me.

“Come on…” She kissed me sweetly and reached back for the doorknob. “We can wait a couple more hours for our date, right?”

I sighed again as she opened the door. Yes, I could wait a couple of hours. Sure. Honestly, at that point, I felt like I would wait forever for Korra, if I had to. But was it going to be a miserable couple of hours? Oh, definitely.

I begrudgingly followed her to the private room.

********

We stepped into the party room together and I introduced her to the Beifong family while trying to keep my grin to a casual level.

“I bumped into Chef Korra out there and she insisted on meeting the woman of honor.” I gestured to Opal as Korra moved forward to shake her hand.

“Happy Birthday! Hope you’re hungry because your sister arranged quite a feast for you tonight!” Korra looked over at Kuvira and smiled, acknowledging the new peace between them.

As if there were a flashing neon sign pointing to the area, Kuvira’s eyes traveled from Korra’s face to her neck and back again. I watched as her eyes went wide and then shot over to me with accusations pouring out of them.

“What?” I mouthed silently and frowned.

Korra continued to move around the room and meet the family, unaware of the silent conversation going on behind her.

Kuvira tapped her own neck and then pointed to Korra’s and shook her head at me.

I peeked around Opal’s mom, Suyin, and tried to see what Kuvira was going on about.

Yep. Right there on the side of Korra’s neck was an impression in my exact shade of lipstick. I gulped and chewed my lip anxiously. Not exactly professional.

“Okay! Well, Chef Korra really needs to get back to work! You all have kept her long enough.” I grabbed Korra’s arm and calmly led her from the slightly confused room.

“What was that about?” Korra whispered while slowly shutting the door between us.

Running my thumb over the lipstick stain on her neck quickly, I lowered my voice, “Let’s just say, I’m anxious to leave a few more of _these_ on you later tonight.”

Korra’s hand shot up to her neck and she rubbed the area clean with a coy smile on her face. She glanced down at her red fingers and laughed. “Mmmm…I can’t wait. But I will.”

And the door shut between us.

I pulled out my chair beside Kuvira and sat down, hoping to ease into the present conversation without interrupting the flow.

The swirling energy that had existed in my stomach since I had first run into Korra had decided to travel lower, taking up permanent residency between my legs. I crossed my thighs and tried to ignore the increasing slickness present there.

This was going to be a long dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Relief coming soon! :)


	4. WET: Korra POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Date Night!

Well, fuck.

I walked back to the kitchen, wide-eyed and talking myself down from a very distracting Asami-induced high. I quickly washed the lipstick stain from my fingertips and bit down my smile before checking on the progression of the night’s orders. My kitchen staff seemed a lot more at ease than I did, thankfully.

Kuvira had requested a special dessert for their event, no surprise, and I wanted to make sure I took the lead on it to avoid any disasters. It was kind of funny to think about Kuvira now, after… you know. I mean, I still wouldn’t say I was a huge fan of her overall cocky attitude. Although, Kya seemed to think Kuvira and I were a lot more similar than I would have liked.

But without the misplaced jealousy clouding my judgement, I could see her a little clearer. She was obviously going through a lot of trouble to make sure her sister had a great birthday, which I liked. And I’m sure she was somehow involved with the reason Asami stumbled into Kya’s office by mistake. Okay, maybe I was a big Kuvira fan after all.

Anyway, I’d planned to whip up a Flame on the Iceberg, figuring it was the perfect twist on a standard birthday cake for the Beifong’s party. My brain felt like absolute mush as I set to work but somehow the pieces came together: house-made chocolate ice cream on top of sponge cake, all covered with meringue. That’s the iceberg, but the flame is the fun part. The treat is doused in a whiskey-laced syrup and lit on fire at the table. Fancy, right? Baking wasn’t exactly my specialty but the strict science behind it was a good distraction from the very not-safe-for-work daydreams I was living in. I finished up and scribbled Opal’s name across the front of the plate with chocolate syrup.

“You want to bring this out yourself, Chef Korra? I know how you like to play with fire…” Kai, our lead server, asked through the port window over the treat.

“NO!” I yelled by accident. “I mean, no. Thank you, Kai. You go ahead and light it up. I need to…Uh. Yeah. You just go ahead.” I muttered, almost incoherently.

I was incredibly eager to get out of the kitchen and attempt to freshen up for my date with Asami. Had it been 2 minutes or 2 hours since our, um, _meeting_ in the office? Suddenly, time felt lightning fast but also, somehow, impossibly slow. What was wrong with me? I honestly wasn’t sure if I could even tell time anymore with how dazed I was feeling. But if the group was being served dessert, that meant the celebration was nearly done. And since Kuvira had requested late night privileges, (again, no surprise) their party was the last service of the evening.

I needed to hurry.

I quickly made way back to the office to dig through my work duffle for spare clothes. Even though Asami said I looked “amazing” in my chef’s coat, that certainly didn’t mean I wanted to wear it on a date.

Kya was back at her desk and immediately gave me a skeptical look when I blew through the door.

“Hi. Can’t talk now. Sorry.” I huffed at her while shuffling through my things.

“Mmm, I see how it is. But you had all the time in the world for Ms. Sato when she visited the office earlier tonight?” She smirked but kept her eyes focused on whatever boring administrative task she was working on.

My jaw dropped as I stared back at her in shock. She glanced at me from the corner of her eye with an almost devious edge and continued working.

“What the hell, Kya?! How do you even know about that? You know what… Nevermind, don’t tell me.” I sighed and shook my head. I didn’t have time for _that_ at the moment.

I mumbled to myself about the lack of secrets in the restaurant and kept searching through the bag. All I was able to scrounge up was an old pair of jeans and an olive-green shirt. I sighed and shook out the shirt, desperate to pull the wrinkles from the fabric. Better than nothing, I guess. It certainly wouldn’t hold a candle to Asami’s black dress though. 

Uh. That dress.

I shut my eyes and thought back to the series of events that had unfolded in the office earlier that evening: Asami pressed up against the door. My hips pressed up against Asami’s. Our lips pressed up against each other’s.

If it hadn’t happened to me, I wouldn’t have believed it.

The sound of her voice suggesting we stay in the office circled around in my head. _“Or…we could just stay in here…”_ Fuck, I wanted so badly to keep her to myself, to ease the skirt of her dress all the way up and dip my fingers into her…

But I also wanted to be patient.

I just…didn’t want to rush through everything with her. I wanted her to know I hadn’t been able to stop thinking of her, in all respects. It wasn’t just some workplace fantasy to have my way with her on Kya’s desk. Although, come on. Getting fucked at work by a 6-foot tall, powerful, beautiful woman was up there on the fantasy list.

My heart climbed up to my throat and I willed it back down.

Alright, enough daydreaming—just change out of your gear and make sure you don’t smell like you’ve been standing over a grill all day, I told myself.

“Okay! Gotta go! Try not to tell the rest of the world whatever it is you know about…whatever. Okay?” I frowned at Kya quickly, watching as she pretended to zip her lips, and slipped out the door.

I ran back to the kitchen to root around for anything that might offer a better fragrance and settled on a small container of coconut oil. Desperate times call for desperate, oily, measures, I guess. I rubbed too much on my arms and made my way to the washroom to swap my clothes.

The stall was pretty small, and I wasn’t exactly being graceful while stripping from my uniform. What if I was too late and Asami left without me!? The thought only increased my speed and caused me to knock around the walls a bit more before I was fully changed.

“Calm down. She asked _you_ on the date. She’ll be waiting.” I muttered a few extra encouragements to myself under my breath as I pushed open the stall door.

And that’s when I realized, to my utmost horror, I wasn’t alone.

“I think Superman uses a telephone booth for a reason, ya know? More private.” The woman at the sink half-smirked through a scowl at me. I immediately recognized her from the Beifong party room. Her chiseled face and the scars across her cheek were hard to forget.

“Sorry about that. Didn’t realize anyone else was in here. Just trying to…” I met her stare and recognized a sense of _knowing_ in it.

“Change out of your work clothes so you can take Ms. Sato out on the town? I may be old, but I’m not stupid.” The woman finished washing her hands and ripped out two paper towels, still keeping her stare fixed on mine in the mirror. “It’s Lin, by the way.” She nodded in greeting.

A nervous laugh rolled out of my mouth, but I tried desperately to maintain the confidence in my posture. Did everyone know about me and Asami already or what?

“Yes, I remember. Nice to meet you again, Lin.” I smiled, although I admittedly felt a little intimated by her intensity. I couldn’t help but think she was Kya’s type, through and through.

“She’s waiting for you in the lobby.” Lin pushed open the door and turned around again. “I’ll know if you do anything to hurt her. Remember that, too.” She held up two fingers to her eyes and then pointed them at mine before disappearing.

I repeated Lin’s gesture to my own reflection in the mirror and laughed at how ridiculous the night had been. Actually, every time I had run into Asami, or her circle of friends, it had been a little bit bizarre…but in a strangely addictive way. I couldn’t wait for more. And now I didn’t have to.

I checked the mirror one last time and practically sprinted to the lobby.

“Hi.” I gulped down a little extra air as I caught my breath. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

God, she looked good. Just a couple hours ago, my hands were working their way up that dress…My eyes wandered to her thighs before I caught myself and focused back on her eyes.

“Hi.” Asami repeated through a wide smile. “Don’t worry about it. Lin walked by me on her way out and kind of gave me a heads up. She said something about Superman? I don’t know…” She laughed and shook her head. “You’re ready now though?”

I grimaced and gestured to the door. “Yes! Definitely. Let’s get out of here.”

It wasn’t until we were out on the sidewalk that I realized we didn’t exactly have a plan. And I didn’t exactly have a car. There weren’t a ton of options within fair walking distance, considering Asami’s footwear. There was, however, a grungy place a couple blocks away, right between the restaurant and my house. Not ideal, but Asami didn’t seem the type to balk at a little grime.

“So… How do you feel about dive bars?” I rubbed the back of my neck and peered up at her under my brow.

“I feel like you’re about to suggest we go to Benders and I am totally down.” She immediately looped her right arm beneath my left and started walking in the direction of the bar.

“Oh!” I glanced down at our locked arms and grinned. I liked that she wasn’t shy about touching. Every moment that I had spent away from her after our office encounter was agonizing. It was nice to be skin on skin again. “You know it?” I asked, slightly surprised.

“Mhmm. My office isn’t far from here. I pop in for a drink after work sometimes…” She trailed off as her opposite hand absentmindedly began tracing along my forearm.

She looked down and canted her head to the side quizzically. The coconut oil hadn’t completely soaked in yet and I could tell she was wondering about the residue on my arms.

“Yeah. It’s just straight up coconut oil, if you’re wondering.” I laughed as we continued walking. “I’m not naturally this slippery.”

“That explains it. I like it…very smooth.” She teased. “I mean, you’re a chef, I shouldn’t be surprised that your body comes ready-to-eat.” She laughed and smiled playfully, squeezing up closer to my side.

Fire bloomed beneath my cheeks as I tried to respond. It felt good to be teased by her, to be so openly wanted by her, really. My last partner was pretty stoic, although hot-tempered. We had broken up months ago and then I dove full force into work, so I was pretty rusty at the dating game.

I finally managed a quick laugh and pointed ahead to the bar as we neared the entrance. “If you keep making me blush, they’re going to think I’m already drunk and refuse to serve me.”

“Hmmm…” Asami slipped her hand down from my arm until her fingers were laced with mine. “Let’s say they turned us away, what’s our backup plan?”

“Is that your way of saying you’re not willing to stop making me blush?” I laughed and squeezed her hand in mine.

We we’re standing just outside of the bar now, literally steps away from door, but I honestly didn’t want to go inside. Not anymore. I wanted to be alone with her, I wanted her mouth on mine, I wanted to know what she sounded like when she came, I wanted…too much probably. She seemed as lost in thought as I did though, didn’t she?

Suddenly, Asami leaned in and pressed her lips to mine, as if to offer her answer. The softness of her full pout was just as thrilling as the first time and somehow even more dizzying.

She pulled back with an almost smug smile and I felt my cheeks burn even more intensely.

“Yep. That is what I’m saying.” She nodded before kissing me again quickly, as if to punctuate her statement.

“Well…” I tried to calm my voice. “The bartender at my house might be more inclined to serve us regardless of my appearance?” My smile slipped up to the side.

“Oh?? You have a live-in bartender?” Asami laughed, her stare fixed to my mouth.

“Totally…My dog makes a mean cocktail.” I continued to smile and Asami continued to stare.

“Sold. Lead the way. Naga kind of owes me one anyway.” She laughed and shook her head.

Of course, she remembered Naga’s name. Of course. I felt an urge to ask Asami what she was doing for the rest of her life, you know, in case she wanted to spend it with me. But I held my tongue.

An anticipatory silence lingered over us with our fingers threaded together for the rest of the short trek.

********

By the time we reached my street, we were walking ridiculously fast. Like…almost comically fast. Our hands were still clasped tight, ignoring the obvious sweat trapped between them. Neither one of us had said a word for so long that I was beginning to worry that, when I finally did speak, my voice would come out cracked and squeaky. All I could think about was getting Asami into my house and finishing what we had started back in the office.

Yeah, yeah. I know. I said I wanted to be patient and stuff. That was still true. But at that point I felt like I _had_ been patient.

Why was this walk feeling like some Hitchcock hallway scene where the destination grows further and further away with every step you take? Come on, come on.

Finally, my house was in sight and I cleared my throat to make, what felt like at the time, a very important announcement.

“There. That one. That’s my house.” I huffed, suddenly aware that I was a little out of breath because of our eager pace.

Somehow, Asami was keeping up with me despite her heels. I thought back to all the gear in her garage and realized she was probably quite athletic. Was there anything wrong with this person?

Asami nodded in response. “Okay. Yeah. Good.”

We were speaking in these short, quick sentences and, if anyone was listening, they probably would have thought we hated each other. Only, it was quite the opposite. It was like my brain was on power saving mode or something.

Just make the necessary comments and save your strength for when the door closes behind you, I thought to myself.

When we reached the house, I could hear Naga sniffing at the seam of the door, waiting for my return, as usual. She was going to be so excited to see Asami...and then so let down that we were totally going to ignore her. I made a mental note to give her an extra treat the next day.

I dropped Asami’s hand as I dug around in my pocket for my keys.

“Where. Are. They.” I growled, finally remembering they were hooked to my belt loop, like always.

Asami shuffled around eagerly beside me and flipped her wavy raven hair over her shoulder. I smiled up at her as I slid the key into the lock.

Before I could even turn the deadbolt, she took a step forward and pressed me up against the door, bringing our lips together in a rough kiss.

Guess I wasn’t the only one with rather thin patience.

My breath caught in my chest as the kiss deepened—warm, wet energy rolled with our tongues. The neediness behind it was even louder than the kiss we shared in front of the bar. With our mouths locked together, I struggled with the key, desperate to get the door open and also desperate to keep this going.

Asami pressed up harder. Her full chest pinned against mine. A low moan rumbled in my throat as the lock snapped back with a solid turn of my key.

Finally, the door fell open and we stumbled inside, hands groping and pulling, anxious to make up for lost time. Asami’s hands slipped up my shirt and grazed over my bra, centering on my nipples, as if she were already aware of my particular sensitivity.

Before the pleasure could fully register, Naga bounded up and demanded our attention, pressing her snout between us as if to break us apart by force.

Asami pulled back from the kiss, her breath still ragged, and dropped her hands from my chest with an air of reluctance.

The absence of her touch was sudden and unwelcome. I narrowed my eyes at Naga as if to communicate my annoyance, although I could never really stay mad at her.

“Hi, again!” Asami laughed and smiled down at Naga, petting her behind the ears. “Guess I’m kind of stealing your Mom’s attention tonight…but you stole my carrots so maybe we’ll be square after this?” She kissed Naga on the top of her snout, right between her eyes.

I laughed and tried to remember myself. “I just have to let her out really quick.” I ran over to the back door. “Just…uh, don’t go anywhere.”

By the time I returned, Asami was no longer in the living room. Can’t say I was very surprised. I just knew the second I told her not to go anywhere, she absolutely would go somewhere. She couldn’t have gone too far though, considering my house wasn’t quite as massive as hers. All I needed was a nice kitchen and a big yard. But I knew she wasn’t in the yard, obviously, and I could see from the living room that the kitchen was empty…

Hot energy throbbed between my legs as I made my way down the hall. I needed her hands on me again. Now.

I pushed open my bedroom door and there she was, sitting casually on the edge of my bed as if it were her own. I certainly didn’t hate that idea of that.

“…You went somewhere.” I laughed and made my way over to her, spreading her legs apart with my hips and gripping her thighs.

She slid her hands around my waist, pulling me even closer.

“What are you going to do about it?” She raised one sculpted eyebrow as if to challenge me. Her voice was laced with a husky confidence that would have been intimidating if I wasn’t so fucking turned on by it. 

Her hands slipped under my shirt and she trailed her fingertips up and down my back. A chill ran across my skin as I leaned into her pressure. It felt so good to be close to her.

“Um…” I started to form a thought, but the pressure of her fingertips increased almost instructively at the sound of my voice.

I don’t think she wanted a verbal answer. Got it.

I wrapped one arm around her back and shifted her further up the bed in one quick motion. I watched her expression switch from shocked to wanting as she laid back onto the mattress. Moving between her legs, I lowered myself over top of her, my hands firmed on either side of her body.

A single moment passed as we took each other in, unmoving. I was still in disbelief that we were actually here, now, together. I mean, I had a pretty good imagination, but this was beyond it. 

And then, finally, the energy that had been suppressed all week was released in an untamed electric current us as we ripped and pulled at each other’s clothes with our lips pressed together roughly.

The desire to be as close as possible to Asami, with absolutely nothing between us, was the only thing greater than my desire to keep our lips locked. I broke the kiss, unwillingly, and hurriedly kicked off my jeans and pulled my own shirt over my head, throwing it clear across the room. Asami’s hands followed behind mine, working my bra over my head instantly. She leaned in and pressed her lips to my bare skin, trailing wet kisses across my chest and using her tongue to tease my nipples into an aching stiffness.

I held my lip under my teeth and tried to stifle a whimper as she bit down lightly on my flesh.

God, I need to make her feel this good, I thought. Her dress had to go.

I sat back and eased my hands up her thighs, slipping her underwear down her legs. She leaned back on her elbows and raised her hips in assistance, her legs spread just enough to offer the most teasing glimpse up her skirt.

It took all of my restraint to focus on actually getting her dress all of the way off of her before having my way with her, but I’d come this far...

“Is there a zipper or…” I started to ask.

Asami laughed lightly and shook her head. “No, just…” She began working the material up over her hips and I quickly followed suit, pulling the dress over her head.

Her thick hair fell back around her shoulders and I held a gasp in my mouth, realizing only now that her backless dress had left few options for a bra and she had chosen the easiest.

She reclined back on the bed, her full, exposed breasts heaving with every hitched breath. The low light of my room, mixed with the full moon shining through the window, illuminated her body is a way I would remember forever. Her eyes were trained on mine with longing and something else, something bigger…trust, I think. It was overwhelming and calming at the same time. My mind was racing but my body was sure.

I mounted her hips and leaned forward, bringing my lips to the nape of her neck. Our bare chests pressed together, her nipples hard against my skin, as I worked my mouth back to hers.

Every inch of my body touched by hers felt lit by blue flames. Every curve, every bend fit like we were always meant to be this way.

She bit down roughly on my lower lip and gripped my hips, grinding hers up to meet them more firmly.

I was absolutely sure her lipstick was already smeared all over me by this point and I couldn’t have been more okay with that. In fact, I was almost content to just keep kissing her all night. Almost.

Moving my hand between her thighs, I teased my fingers up through her soaked middle, centering on her clit with concentrated yet withholding pressure. She was absolutely _dripping_ with need.

“Asami...” I subconsciously breathed out as I slipped through her slickness, still teasing her lightly.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Fuck.” She growled, her voice was low and hungry as she rocked her hips up to meet my pressure, demanding firmer contact.

Who was I to deny her?

I pressed two fingers deep into her soft middle, feeling her stretch and tighten around my length.

“Fuuuck.” She repeated, as I thrust harder into her.

Her long, dark eyelashes fluttered over flashes of her sage eyes as I circled my thumb over swollen clit with my two fingers still curled inside of her.

She kept in rhythm with each rough thrust of my hand, shifting her hips up and down to offer deeper access. My whole body ached to satisfy her, to hear her moan and finish at my command.

I left a kiss on her parted and panting mouth, slowly easing my fingers from her cunt.

Her eyes quickly met mine with a look of…desperation, I think, at the sudden loss of my force. But I wasn’t done with her.

“I want to taste you.” My smile slipped up to the side and I watched her gaze follow my lips. “Do you… want me to use my mouth?”

Her breath hitched for a moment.

“Please.” She nodded.

I moved between her legs and lifted her thighs over my shoulders. I licked up her center, slowly, circling over and around her throbbing clit. I tried and failed to hold in a satisfied moan as my tongue and chin were coated with her. Increasing my speed and pressure steadily, I watched her writhe beneath me with each pulse over her most sensitive spot.

Her legs began to shake around my head, and I knew she was close. Sure, I hadn’t known Asami long, but everything felt so…natural with her. Familiar, but in a completely thrilling way. I dipped two fingers back inside of her and pressed my tongue where she needed it most as the tremors rolled through her body.

“Korra.” She panted. “FUCK.” She collapsed back into the bed in exhaustion, her thighs still pressed to my ears.

I left a kiss just below her navel and moved up beside her on the bed.

“You…” I left another kiss, this time on her throat. “…sure say ‘fuck’ a lot while you’re…um, getting fucked.” I laughed and kissed her on the corner of her mouth.

Her lips quirked into a smirk beneath mine.

“And…” She suddenly moved from beside me and quickly straddled my hips between her thighs. “...What do _you_ say while you’re ‘um, getting fucked’?”

She was mocking me…and I _fucking_ loved it.

“Maybe you’ll get to find out.” I smiled and squirmed between her legs.

She reached down and traced her fingertips across my chest, deliberately avoiding my nipples, it seemed. Rude.

“Hmmm…” She shifted her hips slightly. “I would really…” She grazed a single fingertip over the peak of my left breast. “… _really_ …” Then my right. “…like to find out.”

She dismounted my waist and gripped my thighs in either hand, pulling me toward the edge of the bed, showing a strength that was bigger than her body.

Asami got to her feet in front of me as I sat up with my legs hanging off the side of the mattress, waiting in almost painful suspense. My heart raced in my chest.

Yes. Find out. Okay. Yep.

She smiled at my wordlessness, apparently privy to my inner monologue, and pressed her fingers up against the middle of my somehow still remaining underwear. Impatience is a funny thing, I guess. I watched her pupils widen at the contact with the damp fabric. I had honestly been wet since the second she walked into the restaurant’s office, but she didn’t seem to know that.

She dropped to her knees before me and pulled the briefs down my legs, her hands softly running along my skin.

I inhaled deeply and tried to swallow but my throat was tight was anticipation.

Pulling my knees apart, she pressed her face between my thighs and slid her tongue firmly and slowly up my cunt.

“Oh. Uh.” I stuttered, realizing I was already pretty close to the cusp of coming just from how turned on I was from fucking her.

Asami wrapped her hands around my lower back and held my body against her face as she licked and sucked faster, more deliberately.

“Mmmm…” She moaned into my middle, then pulled back slightly. “You are _very_ wet, Korra.” She set her mouth back into motion, as if impatient with herself for having stopped momentarily.

The vibrations of her voice over my clit, her hot tongue slipping through me, the strength in her grip—everything was too much and too little at the same time. It was like… filling a glass to the top and then asking for a refill before taking the first sip. My brain was short-circuiting from my completely hedonistic desire.

I anchored my hands to the bed to stop myself from collapsing backwards just as Asami thrust two fingers inside of me. There it was—my greedy refill..

“Uh…” I groaned and sat into her force, grinding my hips against her. “Don’t stop. Uhh. I’m…coming.” I panted heavily.

Asami maintained the speed of her fingers and pressure of her tongue until I was so thoroughly satisfied that I wondered if I had actually ever come before in my life. I mean, I had. But this was…something else.

I tried to catch my breath, still unable to find the ability to form a coherent sentence, as Asami righted herself up from her knees. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her closer, pressing my mouth just below her throat.

She ran her fingers through my hair and laughed gently. “So, turns out you just say ‘uh’ while you’re getting fucked. Very creative.”

“You’re disappointed with the findings?” I nuzzled up against her chest, still hugging her against me.

“Oh, no, no, no. Absolutely not.” She laughed again and slipped out from grasp to joined me on the bed.

We moved up to the head of it and she laced her fingers through mine as we leaned back, shoulder to shoulder.

“Maybe I am just looking forward to finding out of I can get anything else out of you. Maybe even an ‘ah’.” She laughed and brought my hand up to her mouth, kissing each of my fingertips slowly.

I gulped, swallowing down the desire to scream _YES! MARRY ME. FUCK ME EVERY DAY FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES._

Instead, I managed, “Stay the night with me.”

She smiled and leaned her head against my shoulder. “Just the night?” She teased. Again, somehow aware of my inner-most thoughts. “Okay, but only because I’m betting you make an amazing breakfast.” She squeezed my hand playfully.

“So amazing, I’m sure you’ll be yelling ‘fuck’ loud enough for the neighbors to hear.” I squeezed her hand in return, suddenly aware that I was deliriously happy and also deliriously tired.

It had been a long, weird, surprising, magical week, culminating in the most fantastic night. I still wasn’t sure what I did to deserve it all, but I was sure glad I did it, whatever it was. 

I fell asleep, wrapped around Asami, and fully aware that no matter what I dreamed that night, it would never compare to my new reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was hoping to have this posted a couple days ago but this week was a nightmare. Oof. At least Korra and Asami are having fun. Right? Thanks for reading and hope y'all have a good weekend. :)


	5. SHOWER: Asami POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end is the beginning. :)

I woke up to the familiar and frustrating sound of my phone buzzing. With my eyes closed in refusal, I reached out to my nightstand, only to find nothing there—no phone, no nightstand.

Because, of course, I was not actually in my own bed.

“Your phone’s ringing...” Korra wedged in tightly behind me, pressing her bare chest to my back with her arm draped around my side.

Hearing her voice, still raspy with sleep, first thing in the morning was an unexpected rush. And feeling her warmth seep and settle across my skin was even better.

“Mmm…” I sighed and pressed my backside deeper into her lap. “I don’t hear anything…”

Korra laughed lightly at my feigned ignorance and tightened her grip around my body. Somehow her toned arms remained surprisingly soft and gentle in their hold. I knew she would be the best cuddler. Called it.

The final ring vibrated from somewhere in the room and was followed by momentarily silence.

“See?” I rolled my hips back, increasing the pressure in the bend of Korra’s body. “No one’s phone is—”

The buzzing of my phone mocked me with a sudden interruption as it began ringing for a second time.

“Yeah? You were saying?” Korra kissed down my shoulder quickly before shifting out of our cuddle. “Naga!” She sat up and called to the mound of white fur laying at the foot of the bed. Naga perked up and wagged her tail with her head cocked to the side. “Wanna find Asami’s bag?”

Korra’s tone was a little sweeter and slightly animated when she spoke to her dog. It was almost too cute for me to bear that early in the morning. And, unlike my own stubborn pet, Naga seemed eager to do the exact thing Korra requested, with no clarification. It’s not that Katara wouldn’t have understood, it’s just that she wouldn’t appreciate being told what to do. Cats, right?

Naga jumped off the big bed and ran to the corner of the room where I had set my purse down the night before. As if aware that she should be careful, she scooped up the straps gingerly and brought the bag right back to my side of the bed. Okay, not “my side”, technically, just the side I happened to be on.

“Thank you, Naga.” I scratched under her chin before she jumped back up to her spot on the bed, with an almost proud look on her face, and settled back down. 

The last ring vibrated before I could reach inside. I pulled out my phone to see 2 missed calls and 3 texts from Kuvira. Oops.

“Not that I am peeking, but you should totally call her back.” Korra laughed genuinely as she eased out of the covers and walked over to her dresser. “I need to start working on that ‘amazing breakfast’ you demanded anyway.”

“Demanded? I would never…” I gasped in exaggeration.

I tried to play along although, let’s be honest, I was pretty distracted by the way her body looked in the low morning light. Not that I thought we could stay naked all day, but I was a little crestfallen that she was so quick to get dressed.

She slipped on a pair of light grey sweatpants and sheer white tank top. Okay, maybe I could live with the tease that particular outfit offered. She didn’t even seem conscious of how unbelievably hot she was… but, if I could have my way, she would certainly be made aware as often as possible.

She walked over to my side, I mean, _the side_ of the bed and knelt down so that we were eye level. “Mhmm. Demanded.” She kissed my bottom lip softly. “But I am definitely not complaining.”

That crooked smile that had been torturing me in the best way for the last week slipped right into place before she turned and walked out the door with Naga at her heel.

I rolled around in the sheets and tried to make sense of everything that had happened over the last few days: Meeting Korra in the rain, thinking I would never see her again. Meeting Korra at the restaurant, that same night, and purposefully leaving my purse behind. Korra surprising me at my house, with said purse, and then watching her literally run away from my invitation to come inside. Stumbling into the office at Korra’s restaurant and being pressed up against the door with her lips on mine. Walking to the bar and then scratching our plans so that we could escape to her house and…be together.

Fuck. I was supposed to be calling Kuvira back, not reminiscing about my bizarre, rom-com life. I pressed my face into the pillow and let out a long sigh. God, her sheets smelled so good. That sense of unnamed nostalgia swirled around in my stomach.

Right, the phone call.

“Hi, I’m alive.” I smiled into the receiver before Kuvira could even speak.

“Uh, huh. That’s only because I haven’t gotten my hands on you.” Kuvira growled, although I could tell she was mostly relieved.

“I’m sorry if I freaked you out... You knew I was going out with Korra after the party though…” I shrugged and rolled over flat on my back.

It’s not like I always needed to _check in_ with Kuvira. It’s true, she was an overprotective friend and that sometimes veered dangerously close to controlling. But…it was probably safer to make sure at least one friend knew of your whereabouts when going on a date with a near stranger. So, I knew she was right to worry. I guess I just got lost in the heat of the moment though. Who can blame me?

“Well, I obviously knew you were going out, Asami.” She punctuated my name like I was in trouble. “But I kind of figured I’d at least wake up to an update or you stumbling through the door at some point. I forced Katara to sleep with me in the guest room so she wouldn’t try to sneak out when you got home, ya know? She was not pleased.” Kuvira half laughed and I knew she was already softening up.

The routine of Kuvira staying the night at my house on Friday nights was probably not something that would easily translate to Korra, if we were to continue seeing each other, that is. I wasn’t looking forward to dealing with that issue, but I was _kind of_ looking forward to having that issue if it meant future dates with Korra.

“I get it. You’re a great friend.” I laughed and sat up in the bed. “And, again, I’m sorry. But I’m definitely more than okay. Promise.”

There was a slight pause, and I could tell Kuvira was deliberately making me suffer as she held out her forgiveness.

“Well…” She took a loud sip of something. I peeked at my phone screen for the time and realized it was still early enough that she was probably working on her coffee. “How was it? Can you walk?” She teased.

“You’re impossible.” I rolled my eyes hard enough that I’m sure she could sense it through the phone. I was feeling like bragging though… “But, to answer your question, it was _amazing_ and…I’m not sure about the second part because I haven’t tried. I’m still in her bed while she’s making breakfast.” An obnoxious grin stretched across my face and I didn’t even try to shake it.

“Oh, look at you. Moving in already!” She laughed. “Alright, Alright. I’ll let you go. Send me your new address when you get a chance.”

“Byyyyye, Kuvira.” I wasn’t going to let her bait me like usual—easier to just let her have her fun and move on.

I hung up and swung my legs over the side of the bed, realizing the only clothes I had with me didn’t exactly scream “casual morning” and I wasn’t really feeling bold enough to venture into the kitchen with nothing on.

I walked over to the door and cracked it open, meeting the most delicious maple aroma at the threshold.

“Hey…Korra?” I called down the hallway.

“Yeah? Everything okay?” She shouted back over the sizzling sounds from the kitchen.

“Can I borrow a shirt or something?” I chewed my lip and hoped she wouldn’t think that was too forward.

“Oh!” I heard her set down a utensil followed by the beat of her footsteps jogging down the hall toward her room.

I took a step back as she slipped through the door. It was one thing to be undressed by someone new in a dimly lit bedroom. But standing naked, in the middle of the morning, in front of that same person who was now fully dressed, was actually a little embarrassing. I crossed my arms over my chest and tried not to make immediate eye contact.

“H-Hi…” Korra stuttered, as if somehow surprised to find me completely naked even though that was precisely why she had needed to come to the room.

I raised my eyebrows and smiled in response, stealing a quick glance into her soft blue eyes.

She moved quickly to her dresser and grabbed a shirt and a pair of gym shorts before walking back to me with what was becoming a signature pink hue across her cheeks.

“Here ya go. I think these will work…” She seemed desperate to maintain respectful eye contact with me, although I wasn’t necessarily able to do the same. Her tank top left practically nothing to the imagination and I couldn’t. stop. looking.

“Thank you.” I held the clothing to my torso, our fingers just barely grazing in the transfer. It was hardly enough.

Korra stood perfectly still in front of me, as if frozen in place. I could see that same look of want and desire that had spilled across her face just the night before.

Her eyes finally broke from mine and darted down to mouth.

A smile tugged at my lips and I watched her expression flash in response.

She laughed once, shaking her head, as if at herself.

Before I could question her, she bridged the gap between us. Her lips pressed softly, wet and hot, against mine as she let one broad hand pull me in closer by the small of my back.

Finally.

I dropped the newly loaned clothes on the floor and held her face between my hands, deepening the kiss and letting myself have what I was too impatient to wait for.

She took a directive step forward, leading me up against the wall behind her door. Her guidance was sure and demanding and I reveled in it. Her hips pinned mine to the wall as her lips trailed down my neck. Slipping her knee between my legs, Korra pressed her thigh up hard against my middle as I ground down on it. It was obvious we were hungry for more than breakfast.

Fuck.

The breakfast.

“Uh…” I started, truly hating to interrupt the moment. “Korra?”

“Mmmm…” She moaned against my flesh and a tremor ran through my body.

Focus, remember you have a point to make, I told myself.

“The breakfast is on the stove, right?” I winced, still holding out hope that maybe she had removed everything from the burner.

“Oh, shit!” She looked up at me in shock. “Yep! Sorry! I gotta…” And with that she turned and ran out the door.

The energy between my thighs throbbed and pleaded with her absence. I leaned my head back against the wall and sighed. Back to the waiting game.

I threw on the clothes Korra had picked out for me—a well-worn old concert shirt and comfortable shorts that I had to roll twice on my hips to secure in place—and freshened up in her washroom before making my way to the kitchen.

Nothing smelled burnt, thanks to my sacrifice. In fact, everything spread out on the table looked and smelled fantastic. It was way too much food for just two people, but I wasn’t surprised that Korra had overdone it.

“Well… You’re looking snazzy.” Korra smiled and eyed me up and down as I rounded the corner. Something seemed to deeply please her about my borrowed outfit. And, honestly, I had never been more comfortable in my life, so I hoped she was fine with me never returning it.

I tried to tame my grin, but it was practically useless. Korra was such a dork and I couldn’t get enough of it.

“Snazzy, huh?” I flipped my hair over my shoulder to exaggerate the moment and laughed.

“Can I do anything to help with all of this?” I gestured to the spread.

I didn’t want to get in the way of a professional, but I also didn’t want to seem lazy, which was hardly a word in my vocabulary. Something told me Korra understood that already and was dead set on making this meal on her own anyway. From returning my purse, to helping me find Katara, to making me a home-cooked breakfast—it was pretty obvious that Korra’s language of love was acts of service. Not that we were in love. Just saying… in general. 

“No, no. I’m pretty much done.” She shook away my offer quickly. “How do you like your coffee though?”

“Oh! Just exactly like that. Thanks.” I reached out for the cup when she finished pouring it, inhaling the bitter aroma eagerly.

“Really?” She fixed her own cup with extra cream and two sugars and joined me at the table. “I have a sweet tooth in the morning. If I’m eating a savory breakfast, I definitely need my coffee to be sweet.”

“I’ll make a note of that. For next time.” I was well past playing this like it was a one-night stand. What was the point? “So, what is all of this, _Chef_ Korra?” I pulled out my chair and took a seat.

“It’s, um…” She glanced down and seemed to be looking over the ingredients as if she hadn’t even really put much thought into it until now. “There’s maple-glazed pork belly, a couple sunny side up eggs, jalapeño, carrot slaw, rice…” She smiled and sat down. “It’s kind of just what I had around but hopefully it’s good.”

“Honestly, it looks delicious. I’m not going to yell ‘fuck’ loud enough for your neighbors to hear, but I am sure I’ll want to.” I laughed, remembering Korra’s promise from the night before. “I’m just glad we don’t have to share it with the fire department.”

“What??” Korra had a mouthful of food already and struggled to choke it down. “The fire department??” She cleared her throat.

I tilted my head to the side, surprised by her pretty tense reaction which seemed to come out of nowhere. Maybe she was offended that I brought up the kitchen mishap? But it was true… “Um, yeah. You know, because you decided pinning me against the wall was more important than a hot stove?” I laughed again before diving into my own breakfast.

“Oooh. Well, I stand by that order of importance.” She laughed and her whole body seemed to relax. “I mean, I did annihilate a couple of eggs. Burnt to an absolute crisp. But no fires today! Phew.”

I looked at her a little skeptically. No fires _today_? Yikes.

“Do you have a sordid past full of flames and fire?” I teased.

Korra looked like she was contemplating something, the wheels turning almost visibly behind her eyes.

“Yeah, kinda.” She grimaced and took a long sip of her coffee. “Kya and I used to do pop-up kitchens before we finally opened Raava. Let's just say, she has a strict rule against blow torches in our kitchen now.” She laughed quickly but didn’t seem quite done. “I, uh... That's actually how I met my ex. He’s a firefighter. Or, I guess, the Fire Chief now, actually.” She was clearly uncomfortable sharing that information, but I appreciated her honesty. “It’s been over between us for a long time and I’m seriously only telling you this right now because… I just don’t want it to come up in the future and then it’s weird that I didn’t say something now…”

I smiled genuinely and stopped her from trying to make right something that was never wrong. “Korra. It’s okay! I really like learning about you. I’m glad you told me about that. And I'm glad you've given up blow torches. _And_ I’m glad you want to go on a future date.” I laughed softly and watched her face change shape and ease back into a smile. “Can I ask you something else though?”

“Yeah…sure?” She seemed a little skeptical but still willing.

“Is your ex Bolin’s brother? Mako, right??” I couldn’t help but put the pieces together. How ridiculous was this whole thing? I already couldn’t believe the dance Korra and I had done all week… and now I was realizing my favorite local farmer had been trying to set me up with Korra’s ex for weeks! What are the odds?

“Wow, yep! That’s him. Bolin is still really sensitive about the breakup but he’s coming around, I can tell. I mean, Mako and I have already rebuilt a pretty decent friendship, but Bolin is super dramatic. I’m sure you know that.” She laughed and shrugged.

I did know exactly what she was talking about. In fact, I had often wondered if Bolin thought selling fresh vegetables was some form of performance art. I loved him for it, though, and always looked forward to seeing him. The thought suddenly reminded me that it was Farmer’s Market Saturday… I wondered if Korra would want to join me, but it seemed too early to ask.

The conversation flowed easily from there, and it was nice to finally fill in a few background pieces about each other. Nothing too deep yet, but still, it only further confirmed that the woman inside of that stunning body was truly just as special as I thought.

We cleaned up our plates and I admittedly moved intentionally slow through the process. If we were done eating breakfast, did that mean I should go home? I wasn’t ready to say goodbye, but I didn’t want to overstay my welcome.

Before I could start the impending “ _what now?_ ” conversation, Korra jumped in.

“Hey! I just realized, we met exactly one week ago today.” She smiled and propped herself up to sit on the kitchen counter. Her shoulders and biceps flexed under her weight and I tried not to stare at the ridges of veins highlighted across her skin.

“Whoa, that’s…” I shook my head and leaned against the opposite countertop. “I don’t know! It seems like we’ve known each other longer, doesn’t it?”

Her grin grew wider. “Yeah! I… Okay. This is going to sound so weird, but I keep having the strangest feeling. It’s…um…I don’t know.” She laughed at herself and my heart felt two sizes too big for my chest. “You know when you go on a long trip and it’s great and you’re happy but then you come back and you get into bed that first night back and you kind of realize how good it feels to be home?” She was speaking in run-ons and she looked a little nervous, but I nodded emphatically, and she continued. “I… I guess I feel like that. Like… I missed you?” She swallowed thickly and fiddled with the drawstrings on her sweatpants.

My stomach buzzed and my neck felt hot all the way around. This was an absolutely ridiculous conversation to be having and yet it felt exactly right. Everything Korra said described how I had been feeling.

I moved over to where Korra sat and slipped between her spread legs. “I missed you too.” With her perched on the counter, she was just slightly taller than me and I smiled up at her.

“Oh. Thank god. I thought you were going to run out the door screaming.” Korra laughed once in relief and pressed her forehead to mine. 

“Yeah, right.” I leaned back slightly to look her in the eyes. “I’ve been trying to stall all morning! The last thing I want to do is run away!” It felt like an okay time to admit that, considering Korra’s confession, and her smile in return solidified it. “But… since I do have to leave eventually, maybe you’d want to go to the Farmer’s Market with me? I go every Saturday and…”

“Definitely!” Korra answered quickly, practically beaming. “I just need to shower first…” She trailed off and I knew there was absolutely no way she was getting into that shower alone.

********

Korra’s shower was bigger than I would have expected, and I was glad for it.

We shared the stream of hot water and smiled at each other in anticipation. There was no pretense—we both knew exactly what was going to happen and it almost made me more anxious for it. Before Korra and I had slept together, the anticipation of what was to come was huge and imaginative. Now, the anticipation was just as thick but the awareness of how hard I had finished at her command far surpassed anything I fantasized about. So, needless to say, I was eager for Korra to finish what she had started in the bedroom.

My brain was having a hard time focusing on one thought, one body part, one feeling.

I watched the trails of hot water roll down the swell of her bicep, gather in the dip above her collarbone, flow over her full breasts, run along the deep cut of muscle that crossed her hips and bead across her ass where her dark caramel skin was hardly a shade lighter. The sun, the moon, the water… every which way I had seen Korra bathed tested my ability to comprehend her beauty. 

Okay. There was no use playing it cool. Korra’s body was hard and soft and cut and curvy and a fucking anomaly, okay? I bit my lip and tried to wait… To keep my hands to myself. To quiet the loud pounding thud of my pulse in my ears.

We need to do actual shower stuff first, I told myself.

“So…” Korra squeezed shampoo into her hand and held the bottle out for me. “Let’s hurry up and get this part over with so I can fuck you. Deal?” A handsome smile quirked the corner of her mouth.

It felt like someone had momentarily sucked the air from my lungs, but I finally managed to nod and smile. “Deal.”

We rushed through the motions. Korra and I hurriedly lathered each other up and rinsed each other off. Her hands worked over my body is the most taunting way. Every touch lingered just long enough to hurt.

“Done?” Korra asked, guiding me up against the shower wall.

“Mhmm. Done.” I licked the shower water from my lips and waited.

But not for long.

Korra slid her hand between my legs and let her fingers tease up and down my center slowly.

“Good.” She breathed against my lips before taking them under hers in a greedy kiss.

Her firm fingers thrust into my middle filling me all the way up. Fuck, she was strong. It felt like my entire body was lifted off the shower floor and held up by her arm alone as she continued to dive in and out in rhythm.

She pressed her thumb across my clit with each hard hit of her hand, sending a surge of electricity under my skin. I gripped her shoulders and tried to hold myself in place.

“More…” I finally huffed out under a low moan.

As if she were somehow able to respond before I even finished the thought, Korra added a third finger inside of me and increased her rough pressure.

She held her teeth to my shoulder, her ragged breaths meeting my wet skin, and circled her thumb over my need. I shut my eyes into the pleasure as she instinctually worked me into complete submission.

“Ah… Fuck. There. Fuck.” I dug my fingers into her skin and held on tight. My legs threatened to give out from under me but Korra was unwavering and managed to keep me standing as the climax rolled wildly through my body.

Korra gently pressed her lips to mine while she slid her fingers out from my middle. The contrast of her tender kiss, following how roughly she had fucked me, was practically dizzying.

I closed my eyes for a moment, the desire to touch and to taste Korra overwhelming and encouraging my regained strength.

“Now you.” I smiled and kissed her wet pout, feeling her tongue just tease against the part of my lips before I pulled away.

I sank to my knees with Korra’s hands planted on the tile wall above my head, her body like a shelter from the flow of water raining over us.

Anchored between her legs, I glanced up in time to catch Korra’s eyes flash wide, the sea of blue disappearing behind her pupils.

Impatience twisted in my stomach as I kissed her left inner thigh, tasting the difference between the unfiltered shower water and her own natural slickness that had already traveled so far. I took a deep breath and kissed the right side; the same thick heat met my tongue.

“Asami.” Korra panted, adjusting her hold on the wall so that her both forearms ran flush to the tiles.

My name sounded better in her mouth than it ever had, even as it caught in her throat, the muscles swelling and contracting to push forward her plea.

I brought my full mouth to her and flattened my tongue as I licked up her center, flexing the tip when I reached the top, satisfying her throbbing clit with each forceful cross and circle of the area.

Her body swayed above me at the contact, temporarily weakened by the flood of energy to one spot. I looked up to see her jaw clenched and eyes slammed shut, clearly dedicated to maintaining her strength as she reached the precipice.

I gripped my hands behind her thighs and held her body harder to my face, as my tongue continued to work through her. Finding the spot that made her moan the loudest, made her writhe with abandon, made her thighs shake under my fingertips, ignited an even hotter flame in my abdomen. My own body ached with greed and I reached down to hold pressure between my legs and try to quiet the selfish throbbing.

Korra’s eyes were back on me and a sharp intake of air let me know that she was _right there_ , ready to give into her satisfaction.

I pulsed my tongue in the rhythm her body demanded and listened to her groan and curse above me as she came in loud crashing waves over me.

The only thing I wanted more than to give her every ounce of pleasure she deserved was to be able to watch her enjoy it. To have been able to see the stream of water run in and out of her mouth as her lips parted with each moan, to have been able to see the muscles between her shoulder blades flex as she leaned harder into the wall… There is no world in which I would complain about going down on Korra, but is it too much to ask to be in two places at once?

Korra hummed and shut the water off as I righted myself up, feeling the exhaustion and fatigue in my thighs from the prolonged position on my knees.

“You are…” She wrapped me in arms as the steam settled around us. “…something.” She laughed at herself between ragged breaths.

I laughed and kissed down on her shoulder, my wet lips slipping on her damp flesh. “You are also… something.” I smiled against her skin.

Korra sighed and released her hold on me in order to grab our towels. I was almost too warm to need one, but it was probably best to not drip all over her floors.

“Thanks.” I smiled and realized how loaded that word really was in that moment.

Her crooked smile eased into place as if to offer an equally layered, “You're welcome.”

We dried off and started getting ready for our outing in a daze. A pleasant silence filled the room, both of us stealing glances at each other but still saying nothing. My legs felt like jello and my heart refused to settle down but somehow, I managed to throw on my borrowed outfit again. Korra suited up in what I assumed was her usual weekend style: comfortable and athletic. Even though she was dressed casually, I realized I would need to swing by my house to at least put on a pair of jeans to measure up.

“Wanna take the Sun Rail to market? The transit is dog-friendly so Naga can come with, if you’re cool with it?” Korra finally spoke as I finished weaving a loose braid into my wet hair.

I smiled and nodded, remembering that Korra didn’t have a car and we’d therefore need to take public transpo. “Of course. Wouldn’t have it any other way.” I roughed up Naga who had been enjoying a very indulgent morning nap.. “We’ll have to hop off one stop early so I can stop at my house really quick though. I just refuse to wear stilettos with loungewear to the Farmer’s Market.” I bent down and picked up my heels from the floor for emphasis. “We can walk from there.”

“I’ll admit, the fact that you will have to wear that outfit in public, even for just a little bit, will be something I never let you live down.” Korra smirked. I didn’t mind being teased, especially if that meant more time with Korra in the future. “But yeah, okay—your house, then the market. Sounds perfect.”

********

We maneuvered through the mid-city Sun Rail system easily. It was clear that Korra took that particular route regularly. And, well, I had designed it. Not that she knew that part yet.

We sat down with Naga at our feet and relaxed into the short ride.

“You know, not that I was snooping in your garage but… for someone with quite a few personal modes of transportation, you seem to know this new transit system pretty well!” Korra leaned against me, as if it were the most natural thing.

“Well…” I tried to laugh off my hesitation. “My company designed the solar tech for it and I assisted in planning the most efficient and energy conscious routes…” I shrugged.

Korra sat forward and stared at me through narrowed lids. I could tell she was scanning my face for a lie.

“You’re serious?” She finally said.

“Yep!” I smiled.

“ _Your_ company… So…you own Future Energy?” Korra’s eyebrows shot up her forehead.

“I do.” I answered simply and continued to smile.

“Okay…and now you’re riding in one of your own rail cars…wearing high heels paired with someone else’s _pajamas,_ essentially…and your hair is still wet from having mind-blowing shower sex just before hoping aboard. And, yes, mind-blowing is a fact not an opinion.” Her grin was spreading fast as she recounted my offenses.

“Hmmm. Yes. But that is a summary that no one else will ever hear.” I laughed and squeezed her thigh roughly. 

“I mean, I think you look—” Korra started.

I shoved her arm playfully. “You better not say snazzy, or else…”

Korra laughed and gripped my hand in hers. “And now the CEO of Future Energy is threatening me, a mere passenger and hardworking civilian!? Wow. You’ve really fallen from grace, Asami Sato.”

By the time the ride ended, my ribs actually hurt from laughing so hard. It wasn’t often that I felt so at ease with someone, especially not right after they found out what I did for a living. Korra didn’t seem intimidated or awkward about it all. People could get weird about money and success, no matter how hard-earned, but it didn’t feel like an issue at all with her.

We finally made it up the hill to my house—barefoot with my fingers looped through my shoes and Korra and Naga racing the whole way.

I smiled at Korra in the reflective glass of my front door as I gripped the handle. A shy smile crossed her face in return, and I wondered if she might be realizing that I had seen her checking me out the last time we stood in this exact same spot.

“There are a couple clouds moving in so I’ll just run in and change super-fast so we can try to beat the storm.” I peered back out at the grey sky, admittedly excited by a potential second rainy Saturday in a row. “You and Naga can come in though, of course.” I stepped through the threshold and motioned them inside.

Katara darted out the door the second I looked away because…well, she was probably punishing me. But rather than bolt through the yard she stopped short at Naga, stunned into stillness, and stared up at the hulking canine. It seemed like we all held our breath, afraid to startle the situation into something messier. Katara eased closer to Naga, clearly more curious than scared. Naga seemed equally interested and brought her nose down to Kat’s gently.

“Um…” Korra finally hushed out. “Do you think Kat will follow us inside if we just…act like nothing is happening?” She whispered over the interaction.

“Worth a try.” I shrugged, genuinely thrilled by their obvious kinship.

“Okay, let’s go, Naga. Inside. Now.” Korra walked casually into my house with Naga following obediently and, shockingly, Katara stayed right on their heels.

I shut the door behind them and looked over at Korra with my eyes wide. “We do not have time to discuss how fucking cute that was, but you better believe that I’m thinking it!” I shot up the stairs to change while they all continued to get acquainted in the living room.

When I returned to the group, Korra was sitting on the couch, watching the pets wrestle around the room. I stood on the bottom step and took in the scene, still in disbelief that this was my life.

“Ready?” I hated to break up the moment, but the weather wasn’t getting any better.

“Yep!” Korra jumped up and moved toward the door. “I see you decided not to change your shirt?” She raised one eyebrow and teased her half-smile at me.

“Yeah, you’re never getting it back. No use pretending.” I grabbed my raincoat from the hook by the door. “Past events tell me that you don’t want to borrow a coat? We’d be even if you wanted to keep one?” I laughed.

“Nah. I love being caught in the rain. Feels like home.” She shrugged and laced her fingers through mine.

I opened the door as the first few drops hit the cement. I had always thought that the sound of rain, even the smell of it, reminded me of something I couldn’t remember—now I knew that it was actually _someone_ I was supposed to know.

I took a deep breath as we stepped out into the water.

“Yeah. Feels like home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, looks like things are all smuffy and good in the Korrasami world and I hope the same for you!


End file.
